FOOD ALLERGIES
Understanding Food Allergies: Symptoms, Triggers, and Management
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Food allergy symptoms are most common in babies and children, but they can appear at any age. You can even develop an allergy to foods you have eaten for years with no problems.
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Nausea, swelling, or dizziness from something you ate?
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It’s time for an allergist.
Find an Allergist Signs of Allergies
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The body’s immune system keeps you healthy by fighting off infections and other dangers to good health. A food allergy reaction occurs when your immune system overreacts to a food or a substance in a food, identifying it as a danger and triggering a protective response.
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While allergies tend to run in families, it is impossible to predict whether a child will inherit a parent’s food allergy or whether siblings will have a similar condition. Some research does suggest that the younger siblings of a child with a peanut allergy will also be allergic to peanuts.
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Symptoms of a food allergy can range from mild to severe. Just because an initial reaction causes few problems doesn’t mean that all reactions will be similar; a food that triggered only mild symptoms on one occasion may cause more severe symptoms at another time.
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The most severe allergic reaction is anaphylaxis — a life-threatening whole-body allergic reaction that can impair your breathing, cause a dramatic drop in your blood pressure and affect your heart rate. Anaphylaxis can come on within minutes of exposure to the trigger food. It can be fatal and must be treated promptly with an injection of epinephrine (adrenaline).
While any food can cause an adverse reaction, eight types of food account for about 90 percent of all reactions:
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Eggs
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Milk and Dairy
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Peanuts
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Tree nuts
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Fish
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Shellfish
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Wheat
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Soy
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Sesame
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Sesame is the 9th most common food allergen and is found in many popular dishes, including hummus, under the name “tahini.” According to the FDA, “Under the FASTER Act of 2021, sesame is being added as the 9th major food allergen effective January 1, 2023. Until that time, manufacturers do not have to list it as an allergen, although in most cases it must appear in the ingredient statement. An exception is when sesame is part of a natural flavoring or spice.”
Symptoms of an allergic reaction may involve the skin, the gastrointestinal tract, the cardiovascular system and the respiratory tract. They can surface in one or more of the following ways:
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Vomiting and/or stomach cramps
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Hives
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Shortness of breath
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Wheezing
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Repetitive cough
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Shock or circulatory collapse
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Tight, hoarse throat; trouble swallowing
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Swelling of the tongue, affecting the ability to talk or breathe
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Weak pulse
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Pale or blue coloring of skin
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Dizziness or feeling faint
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Anaphylaxis, a potentially life-threatening reaction that can impair breathing and send the body into shock; reactions may simultaneously affect different parts of the body (for example, a stomachache accompanied by a rash)
FPIES: Severe Delayed Food Allergy Reaction in Infants
FPIES is a severe delayed food allergy reaction seen in infants trying new foods. It occurs 2-6 hours after consuming milk, soy, grains, or solids. Symptoms include vomiting, dehydration, and possibly bloody diarrhea. Diagnosis can be delayed due to resemblance to viral or bacterial infections. FPIES is a medical emergency requiring IV rehydration.
Understanding Oral Allergy Syndrome: Pollen-Related Reactions to Raw Fruits and Vegetables
Not all food-related symptoms indicate a food allergy or require complete avoidance of the food. Itchy mouth and throat after consuming raw or uncooked fruits or vegetables may be oral allergy syndrome, a reaction to pollen rather than the food itself. The immune system recognizes the pollen proteins in the food and triggers an allergic response. Heating the food eliminates the allergen, allowing it to be safely consumed.
