Food allergies occur when your immune system misjudges a food as dangerous, leading to symptoms affecting skin, stomach, throat and respiratory tract as well as life-threatening reactions in rare instances.
Most children with allergies to milk, eggs, wheat or peanuts typically outgrow them by school age; however, allergies to shellfish, fish or tree nuts may persist for life.
Symptoms
Food allergies can affect any part of the body – from skin and throat issues, to respiratory complications, to digestion issues and digestive disturbances. They are typically triggered by eating an allergenic food; symptoms may range from mild to severe reactions; severe reactions can even lead to life-threatening emergencies known as anaphylaxis, necessitating immediate medical treatment.
Care team will ask about symptoms for both you and your child. They may ask when symptoms usually appear after eating certain foods and conduct physical exams to take a complete history. Allergy skin testing (pricking the skin with small amounts of allergens to see whether there is an allergic response), blood work to check immunity to certain foods as well as allergy skin testing may also be performed by providers.
Your allergy care team may suggest a special diet or desensitization program where slowly increasing amounts of the allergen are eaten under medical supervision, until an allergic reaction appears. Please make sure that both you and your child know about what steps they should take if an allergic reaction begins, such as notifying daycare providers, school staff and adult family members immediately if the reaction appears.
Diagnosis
Allergy symptoms typically appear minutes to two hours after eating food that causes allergic reactions. They may involve the skin, respiratory tract, gastrointestinal tract and cardiovascular system and range from mild tingling or itching to potentially life-threatening anaphylaxis reactions which cause reduced blood pressure, narrowed airways and heart rate decrease. If this happens to you seek emergency medical assistance immediately.
Your doctor will begin by gathering details about your symptoms and performing a physical examination, which may include listening to your lungs. He or she may order a blood test to measure allergy-related antibodies such as immunoglobulin E (IgE). This test can identify foods to which you might be sensitive. In addition, an oral food challenge may be conducted under medical supervision to help identify allergens; emergency equipment and medications will also be available should an adverse reaction arise.
Important to distinguish between food allergies and intolerances is understanding how your immune system responds. An intolerance does not involve your immune system and cannot lead to life-threatening anaphylaxis reactions; your doctor can also look out for other potential triggers, such as celiac disease which makes it hard for the body to process gluten, found in wheat and some other grains.
Treatment
Food allergies can be life-threatening, but the good news is they’re treatable. The key to managing them is avoiding what causes symptoms in the first place; nonprescription antihistamines may help control mild reactions while your healthcare provider may prescribe an epinephrine injector (such as an EpiPen or Auvi-Q) so you can use it immediately if a reaction arises.
Food allergies occur when your immune system misidentifies certain proteins as threats, prompting it to produce antibodies against them in order to defend itself against potential danger. Even small amounts can trigger severe, life-threatening anaphylaxis symptoms.
Food allergies usually manifest within two hours after consuming an offending food, though symptoms can sometimes manifest hours later. They include symptoms like tingling in the mouth or lips, swelling tongue or throat, abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting as well as wheezing difficulty breathing or shock-like decrease in blood pressure.
Food allergies can be chronic; however, many children will outgrow their reactions to milk, eggs and wheat while some outgrow peanut, tree nut, fish or shellfish allergies over time. Your healthcare provider can conduct an allergy skin test or blood test as a diagnostic measure; alternatively they may order an oral food challenge — an exposure procedure where controlled amounts of the allergen are introduced gradually under medical supervision — for you to take to identify them as allergens and diagnose food allergies.
Prevention
Food allergies are increasingly prevalent and their consequences can be serious and even life-threatening. Avoidance of the allergenic food is essential for staying safe; common triggers include milk, eggs, wheat, soya bean products, peanuts tree nuts fish shellfish.
People suffering from asthma, eczema or hay fever are at higher risk for food allergies than the general population. Furthermore, children whose families have an allergy history to other foods are more prone to food sensitivities themselves.
Education about food allergies is crucial, particularly outside the home. Schools, out-of-school programs and child care services should have a food allergy action plan in place that includes training on how to recognize and manage anaphylaxis reactions. Families with children who have food allergies should carry an epinephrine auto-injector (sometimes known as Epi-pens) at all times with them and understand how best to use it.
Experts are actively exploring strategies to prevent food allergies in young children. According to one study, early exposure of frequently allergenic foods such as peanuts, cow’s milk, eggs, wheat and tree nuts may reduce their likelihood of becoming allergic over time; although others state this approach remains contentious and more research needs to be completed on it.
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