A food allergy happens when the body’s immune system reacts negatively to ingesting a specific food. Even a tiny amount of some foods can cause these reactions in those who are allergic to them. Some food allergies grow gradually worse over time, while others are quite severe and cause a life-threatening condition called anaphylaxis.
Food allergies are more common in children, and some of them can be outgrown as you age. Food intolerance and food allergy are not the same things, and it is possible to have negative digestive reactions to some foods that are not allergic reactions.
Food allergies can range in severity from mild discomfort to anaphylaxis. Severe reactions like anaphylaxis require immediate medical treatment as this is a life-threatening condition. Food allergies that are not life-threatening and can display immediate symptoms, or the symptoms might come on over the first two hours after eating a specific food. Symptoms of food allergies include:
Anaphylaxis has much more severe symptoms and requires immediate medical treatment. This condition can happen in response to any food, but some foods, such as peanuts, are common causes of severe allergic reactions. The symptoms of anaphylaxis are:
Food allergies are caused by your immune system responding negatively to a specific type of food. When this reaction occurs, the immune system has identified the food as a threat to the body, much like a bacteria or a virus. The body then releases immunoglobulin E to try and neutralise the allergy-causing substance. This trains your immune system to recognize the food as a threat, which means that every time you eat this food, your reaction will grow more severe. As your body becomes sensitised to specific foods, it will release histamine cells, which cause allergy symptoms.
The most common foods that cause allergies are peanuts, shellfish, tree nuts, fish, chicken eggs, cow’s milk, wheat, and soy. Pollen allergies can also lead to some people being allergic to specific kinds of fruits or vegetables.
The risk factors for food allergies are:
Diagnosis of these kinds of allergies can be complicated and difficult. Since food intolerance can cause you to feel sick after you eat certain foods, some people are not aware that they are actually having an allergic reaction until their sensitivity has become quite high. Your doctor can do a skin prick test to see if your skin reacts to various foods. These tests can be inconclusive unless you have a strong allergic response to a specific food item.
Food allergies are often diagnosed based on the observation of symptoms by the patient when they attempt to eat certain foods. If you feel any of these symptoms after you have eaten a specific food item, you should consider it likely that you have an allergy to that food. In cases where it is not clear what is causing your food allergies, you should do an elimination diet to slowly remove foods from your daily diet until you figure out which one is causing your symptoms.
Prevention of food allergies can be complicated unless you are sure about which foods you are allergic to. Avoiding ingesting these foods once you know that you have a sensitivity is the best way to avoid food allergies.
Treatment of food allergies usually involves the use of antihistamines to control histamine production and might also include the use of corticosteroids to reduce swelling and inflammation. You might be given an anti-itch cream or be advised to use an over-the-counter solution for skin-related irritation.
Anaphylaxis requires immediate medical care because it is a life-threatening condition. This condition always requires immediate treatment with epinephrine. Many anaphylaxis patients will have to stay in the hospital until their condition has stabilised. Those who have had an anaphylactic reaction in the past are advised to have an epi-pen on hand at all times to help prevent life-threatening anaphylactic attacks in the future.