Nearly 6% of American have food allergies, the most prevalent being eggs, milk, peanuts, wheat and soy. Allergies can affect people of any age but tend to appear most commonly among babies and children.
Most children outgrow food allergies by early adulthood; to protect yourself against them and keep from experiencing an attack, the key is avoiding foods that trigger it and reading ingredient labels carefully to recognize common allergens.
What is a food allergy?
Food allergies are immune system reactions to specific types of foods that you consume, often unknowingly. An allergic response happens when your immune system sees harmless foods as potential enemies and responds by overreacting by producing antibodies called IgE (immunoglobulin E). Once produced, these IgE antibodies attack and cause symptoms like wheezing, hives or swelling in lips, tongue and throat area – in severe cases this could even result in life-threatening anaphylaxis that requires immediate medical treatment using Epinephrine (epinephrine).
People of any age can develop food allergies. Most commonly they appear during childhood; however, later-on, too. Peanuts, fish, shellfish, milk, wheat, soy and tree nuts are some of the foods known to trigger allergic reactions in individuals.
Food intolerance does not involve the immune system and can usually be managed with an elimination diet; in contrast, food allergies cause serious, life-threatening symptoms that must be managed differently. People who have food allergies must learn to avoid all foods they are sensitive to as well as carefully read food labels; it would also be prudent to carry an epinephrine auto-injector just in case an adverse reaction should arise.
Blood and skin tests can help identify food allergies; however, these tests may sometimes produce false positives; therefore it’s essential that a comprehensive history be collected as well as visiting an allergist who will use all available evidence to provide a more precise diagnosis.
Symptoms
Food allergies often present themselves mild to moderate symptoms; however, severe or life-threatening reactions are possible. They develop when your immune system, normally used to fighting infections, mistakes an harmless food as an invader and releases chemicals that cause inflammation – this may affect skin, digestive or respiratory systems; symptoms could include hives, swelling of lips/mouth/throat; belly pain; tight feeling in throat/chest area; wheezing difficulty breathing/hoarseness as well as sudden drops in blood pressure (anaphylaxis).
Food allergies can affect people of any age, though they’re most prevalent among children. Allergies to milk, eggs, wheat and soy may diminish with time while peanuts, fish shellfish and tree nuts typically remain. Individuals who have a family history of hay fever, asthma or eczema are more likely to have food allergies than others.
Food allergies may manifest themselves through FPIES, an extreme, sometimes life-threatening digestive reaction to dairy, soy, grains or solid foods such as cereal. Infants are especially prone to having adverse reactions so parents of children diagnosed with FPIES need to know how to recognize early warning signs so treatment can begin quickly. Furthermore, those who have food allergies should carry an adrenaline auto-injector such as EpiPen with them in the event of severe reactions.
Diagnosis
Food intolerances (such as irritant reactions such as indigestion) and food allergies may appear similar, yet only an allergic response involves your immune system – even small amounts of food-causing protein can trigger it! Conversely, food intolerance typically only involves chemical imbalance in your body without activating immune responses at all.
First steps toward diagnosing food allergies is keeping a food allergy diary, noting when symptoms occur after eating and noting when they occurred. From there, your healthcare provider can assess what caused them: for instance if they occur only within the mouth and throat (known as oral allergy syndrome) or affect multiple areas simultaneously such as anaphylaxis.
Skin testing and blood tests can provide valuable clues in diagnosing food allergies; however, these methods aren’t always 100% accurate. Skin tests measure levels of IgE antibodies directed towards specific foods while blood tests reveal how much of an antibody response exists for each food type. Blood tests don’t need to be performed by an allergy specialist but seeking their assistance for interpretation of results is strongly encouraged.
Sometimes a supervised oral food challenge is necessary to establish food allergy. This method requires following a carefully controlled protocol where patients consume an allergen-laden food product under the close watch of an allergy specialist and with emergency medication available should any severe reactions occur.
Treatment
Food allergies have no cure, but avoiding foods known to trigger reactions can help manage them. Medication may also be used post-incident for some symptoms and an emergency kit with epinephrine (adrenaline) should always be kept handy in case of serious reactions.
People with food allergies must read food labels carefully and consult their physicians regarding which items should be avoided. It is also a good idea to carry an epinephrine auto-injector and learn how to use it; being prepared in case of an adverse reaction could save your life; therefore your physician should provide written treatment plans as part of a written treatment plan.
Healthcare professionals can diagnose food allergies through skin prick tests. A positive result indicates an allergic response. Blood tests also measure immune system reactions by measuring levels of immunoglobulin E (IgE).
Food allergies related to milk, eggs and wheat tend to clear up by adulthood; however, peanuts, tree nuts, fish and shellfish allergies often persist throughout life. Your risk increases significantly if you or a member of your family suffers from hay fever, eczema or asthma; other risk factors include having a family history of allergies as well as having symptoms in response to pollen, dust or pets.
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