Allergy to Food

It is common to experience either a food allergy or food intolerance at some point in our lives. However, only around 1% of adults and 3% of children are actually proven to have an allergy to food. Many reactions can be correctly classified as food intolerance rather than food allergy. Food allergy carries characteristic symptoms and is triggered by the immune system, whereas food intolerance can be caused by food poisoning or toxic reactions.

How Allergic Reactions to Food Occur

Allergic reaction occurs due to allergens contained within the food. The allergens can survive cooking and digestion and can cause allergic reactions throughout the entire body. The most common foods that provoke an allergic reaction are shellfish, nuts, fish, eggs and peanuts.

Levels of allergy will vary, but highly allergic people can have a reaction even at the tiniest contact with a food allergen. Some people, however, can tolerate small amounts of food to which they are allergic.

The Treatment of Food Allergy

The most common treatment of any food allergy is to avoid the allergen completely, removing it from the diet. This means that most patients will need to read food ingredients thoroughly, including in foods that do not normally appear to be associated with allergens such as peanuts and eggs.

If someone who is allergic does come into contact with an allergen then they may have an anaphylactic reaction which can be extremely serious if left untreated. Many who are at risk of this type of reaction will wear a medical bracelet and carry a syringe of adrenaline which allows them to treat themselves if they are developing the symptoms.

There are other symptoms of food allergy including hives, sneezing and a runny nose. Antihistamines can help with these symptoms after the person has ingested the allergen.