Food allergies are potentially life-threatening reactions in which the immune system misidentifies certain foods as harmful, leading to symptoms like hives or difficulty breathing and, if left untreated, possibly leading to anaphylaxis – an event with potentially lethal outcomes.
Food allergies can only be managed effectively through avoidance of offending products, which can be determined using either an allergy skin test or blood test.
Learn About Your Allergens
Food allergies are reactions caused by your immune system to food it mistakenly believes is harmful, with symptoms ranging from tingling in the mouth or lips, swelling of facial features and throat areas and abdominal discomfort to diarrhea and vomiting. Anaphylaxis, a severe response which can result in breathing issues or sudden drops in blood pressure is potentially life-threatening.
Over 170 foods may trigger allergic reactions in people, but most food allergies are caused by what are known as the Big Nine – milk, eggs, wheat, peanuts, tree nuts, fish and shellfish. Milk allergies typically dissipate by childhood while those to peanuts, fish or shellfish usually remain throughout their lives.
Food allergies can be tested for using liquid extracts of the food on your skin (known as a skin test) or through blood testing. Your allergist may also suggest an oral challenge or an epinephrine injection as methods of diagnosis. Unfortunately, allergy tests don’t provide definitive answers and they may mislead you since they measure levels of IgE antibodies against specific foods rather than measuring actual allergic reactions to those same foods.
Avoid Your Trigger Foods
Immunoglobulin E (IgE) food allergies are one of the most widespread food sensitivities, often as the result of exposure to a specific allergen and often leading to immediate treatment with injection of epinephrine or similar medication. These reactions usually begin after just one exposure, typically manifesting themselves from skin, digestive tract and airway irritation to life-threatening anaphylaxis requiring immediate medical intervention via an immediate epinephrine injection.
Food allergy symptoms typically develop within several hours after eating the allergenic food and may include stomachache, itchy hives or itching sensations, diarrhea or vomiting, reduced blood pressure and an increase in heart rate. Rarely a delayed reaction may last four to six hours longer before producing more severe reactions.
Understanding the difference between a food intolerance and allergy is critical, as symptoms can often overlap. Food intolerances typically affect digestion but typically don’t pose serious health threats, while allergies may have serious or life-threatening repercussions. To identify food allergies accurately, your allergist will most likely suggest an oral food challenge with gradual dose increases of suspected allergen foods over several hours to see if you react.
Manage Your Allergies at Home
At home, it’s essential to understand how to manage food allergies effectively. Avoiding foods known to trigger reactions, learning about ingredients and reading labels are all effective strategies for mitigating symptoms and checking labels regularly for allergenic ingredients. Also take caution when shopping as food manufacturers aren’t required to list allergenic substances on product labels.
If you’re having difficulty pinpointing food allergy triggers, speaking to a registered dietitian or nutritionist may help. They can devise an allergy-safe diet which provides essential vitamins and minerals. You may also find helpful cookbooks, apps or support groups online or locally that address specific or general food allergy situations.
Be sure to inform family, friends, babysitters, teachers and other caregivers of your food allergy – especially if your child has one – so they do not come into contact with anything allergenic in someone else’s care. Furthermore, wear a medical alert bracelet at all times and always carry emergency medication such as Adrenaclick (EpiPen) just in case an allergic reaction should arise.
Prepare Safe Foods in a Separate Area
Food allergy symptoms typically develop within minutes to two hours after eating the offending food and can involve many parts of the body, including lips, tongue, throat, face and stomach. Any severe reactions require medical assistance immediately as anaphylaxis may develop; such reactions should never be ignored.
Maintaining safe foods separate from allergen-triggered ones will help to avoid accidental cross-contact. One effective method to do so is labeling food and utensils with color-coded stickers; additionally, setting aside fixed seating arrangements at mealtime ensures younger siblings do not consume anything they should not or share their food with someone who is sensitive.
Get into the habit of reading food labels, and make sure that everyone in your family does too. U.S. law mandates that makers of packaged foods sold in the U.S. identify major allergens on their labels – either through an ingredient list or “contains” statement at the top of each package. When eating out, always ask staff which ingredients are in a dish before ordering it and if necessary ask if they could find out or if there are alternatives without allergens present.
Avoid Cross-Contact
Food allergies can develop from intaking even trace amounts of an allergen or by coming in contact with it directly, for instance if you have an allergy to peanuts then touching even just the knife used to prepare a sandwich containing peanuts could trigger an adverse reaction.
Cleaning all dishes, using separate utensils for each meal and washing hands after handling any type of food can significantly lower the risk of cross-contact. Also be mindful not to share food, drinks or utensils with anyone with food allergies (particularly young children who put their hands in their mouths!).
If you or your child are allergic to a particular food, notify restaurant staff immediately and inquire about safe preparation methods. Beware of buffet-style or family-style restaurants, ice cream parlors and Asian restaurants since these commonly use allergens like peanuts and tree nuts as common allergens. It is a good idea to order ahead and verify if there is a separate cooking area dedicated to special diet meals.
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