If you have a food allergy, your immune system mistakenly identifies a food protein as something harmful, and coming in contact with that protein triggers an allergic reaction. Symptoms can occur when coming in contact with just a tiny amount of food.
The most common triggers of this reaction include eggs, fish, milk, peanuts, shellfish, soy, tree nuts, and wheat. The symptoms of food allergy include difficulty breathing, chest tightness, rashes (hives), and itching all over your body.
Children between the age of 6-11 years are most commonly affected and the common risk factors include a family history of allergic reactions, asthma, and age of introduction to solid foods.
The best way to prevent any allergic reaction is to avoid the food items that are causing it. In case of accidental exposure or emergency, adrenaline can be used. Antihistamines and bronchodilators may be used to provide relief from symptoms.
Accurate diagnosis and successful management of allergies are essential to prevent any severe reactions in the future. An allergist or immunologist has specialized training and experience to diagnose the problem and develop a prevention plan.
The type and severity of symptoms change from one person to another. The symptoms include:
Angioedema (swelling under the skin)
Flushing
Warm feeling
Chest tightness
Wheezing
Swelling in tongue, palate, or uvular
Upper airway stridor (high-pitched breathing sound)
Hoarseness of voice
Sneezing
Vomiting
Abdominal pain
Diarrhea
Tachycardia (increased heart rate)
Bradycardia (decreased heart rate)
Chest pain
Hypotension (decreased blood pressure)
Syncope (fainting)
Arrhythmias (abnormal heart rate)
Heart palpitations
Pallor
Weakness
Food allergies refer to an abnormal immunologic response to a food that occurs in a susceptible person. These reactions happen each time the food is ingested and they are often not dose-dependent. Based on the immunological mechanism involved, food allergies may be caused due to the following responses:
IgE-mediated: These are mediated by antibodies belonging to the Immunoglobulin E (IgE) and are the best-characterized food allergic reactions.
Cell-mediated: When the cell component of the immune system is responsible for food allergy and primarily involves the gastrointestinal tract.
Mixed IgE mediated-cell mediated: When both IgE and immune cells are involved in the reaction.
In young children
Cow’s milk
Egg
Peanut
Soy
Tree nut
Shellfish
In adults
Shellfish
Peanut
Tree nut
Fish
Do you want to know which food you are allergic to? There is a test for it that measures the levels of allergen-specific antibodies.
What is Allergy - Adult Comprehensive Panel, ImmunoCAP?
It comprises 30 tests that help to identify certain allergens that trigger your body. Know more about this test.
There is no way to accurately predict who will develop a food allergy, but there are certain factors that can act as increase the risk and they include:
Clinical history along with allergy and other lab tests are used in the identification of allergen triggers. These include:
The patient’s clinical history and examination are the first-line approaches in diagnosing food allergy. It includes a systematic review of the patient’s diet, the timing of the first and last occurrences of similar allergic reactions, and history that considers the symptoms of allergic reactions to food.
1. Skin prick test (puncture or scratch test): This test inspects for immediate allergic reactions to different allergens at the same time. It is usually performed on the forearm in adults and on the upper back in children.
2. Serum-specific IgE: This test was known as RAST(Radioallergosorbent testing). It measures how much IgE your body makes in response to a single allergen and is preferred when the skin prick test (the favored allergy test) is not suitable or not available.
3. Atopy patch tests (APT): This test is used to assess delayed-type hypersensitivity reactions.
1. Oral food challenge (OFC): The gold standard for food allergy diagnosis. During this test, the allergist feeds the suspect food in measured doses. With each dose, the allergist will watch the individual for a period of time for any signs of a reaction.
2. Endoscopy and biopsy: These may not be very useful for the detection of food allergy, but are used to diagnose non-IgE-mediated disorders.
Get all your labs in the safety and comfort of your homes with the best professionals.
Dealing with food allergies can be daunting. As all know prevention is better than cure, strategies for the prevention of food allergy might include primary prevention, which seeks to prevent the onset of the reaction, and secondary prevention, which seeks to interrupt the development of the reaction. They include:
Some food allergies develop in the womb itself, and unborn children may be sensitized to the foods their mothers consume.
Understand what foods to avoid during pregnancy and more diet tips.
Prevention in breastfeeding mothers
It has been hypothesized that mothers may inadvertently sensitize their children to certain foods through breast milk, but there is little evidence that changing what mothers consume when breastfeeding prevents food allergies in infants.
What does every new mother need to know? Read more about 5 foods to eat while breastfeeding.
The prevention strategies for children and adults include:
Avoidance of allergens: This is very important but not always easy. Some allergens are easier to avoid than others, if avoiding an allergen is difficult, try to reduce your contact with it.
Taking medicines as prescribed: They can be helpful for managing the symptoms of an allergic reaction.
Maintaining a diary: this is to track what you eat when symptoms occur and what seems to help. This may help you and your doctor find what causes or worsen your symptoms.
Eat 2 hours before exercise: Some food allergies can be triggered by exercise, so to prevent that from happening, eating 2 hours prior to exercise is a good practice.
Food allergies can lead to severe allergic reactions that become a medical emergency. Always be prepared and contact the emergency department of the nearest hospital in case of severe food allergy. Doctors that can help you with this are:
General physician
Allergist
Immunologist
Dietician
Pediatrician
An allergist is a medical practitioner specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of allergies. An immunologist is a doctor who diagnoses, treats, and works to prevent immune system disorders.
If you notice any symptoms of food allergy, seek advice from our world-class professionals.
There is currently no treatment for food allergy, except for avoidance of the responsible food/ foods. Once a food allergy is diagnosed, strict elimination of the offending food allergen from the diet is necessary.
The treatment of choice during accidental exposure leading to a severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis), adrenaline (epinephrine) injection is used. It is administered by intramuscular injection into the thigh.
Several medicines are available in the market for initial immediate treatment of food allergy like:
1. Antihistamines: They can relieve gastrointestinal symptoms, hives, sneezing, and a runny nose.
2. Bronchodilators: They can relieve the symptoms of asthma, however, they are not effective in preventing an allergic reaction when taken prior to eating the food.
Know how to tackle allergies in the risk-free way.
The best way to avoid unpleasant symptoms of a food allergy is by avoiding the food entirely. Though the list of remedies that can work for food allergies is short , it can be very effective. If there is a mild reaction here are some home remedies that can prove beneficial to relieve the food allergy symptoms:
Ginger (Adrak): Ginger is believed to help speed up digestion, which may benefit those with stomach discomfort and indigestion caused by trigger foods. It can also prevent gas and reduce bloating and cramping.
Probiotics: Unbalanced bacteria in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract can play a role in many chronic conditions, including food allergies. Probiotics have been found to be preventive and therapeutic against food allergies.
Lemon (Nimbu): Lemons are high in vitamin C, a powerful antioxidant that helps maintain a robust immune system and protects against infection and disease.
Green tea: Green tea is rich in antioxidants and can help fight inflammation. There are certain studies that suggest that green tea can hinder mast cell activation and block histamines, which can be helpful for allergic reactions.
Carrots (Gajar): Carrots are rich in beta-carotene, a powerful antioxidant that has been shown to increase immune cell numbers and activity.
Drinking large amounts can lead to carotenemia, which can cause your skin to turn slightly yellowish.
Read more about the benefits of carrots that are good for your health.
Food allergy is an important public health problem that affects children and adults. Food allergy complications include:
Anaphylaxis: It is a life-threatening condition that can lead to constriction and tightening of the airways.
Respiratory distress: Exposure to food allergens can trigger respiratory symptoms like isolated asthma or rhinitis in rare cases.
Heart attack: Cardiovascular symptoms can be the sole manifestation of exercise-induced food allergies.
Food allergies can be irritating, but the mild ones do not generally cause a lot of problems. Apart from regular medications, there are other therapies as well that have proven to be beneficial. Some of them include:
Studies suggest that an herb-based formula (FAHF-2) used in traditional Chinese medicine may be an effective approach to food allergy treatment that is not specific to any one food allergen and can be potentially used to treat multiple food allergies
It is the practice of inserting hair-thin needles into the body at strategic points to relieve specific symptoms. Acupuncture supports the immune system and can relieve symptoms associated with seasonal and food allergies.
Homeopathy works by correcting the immune responses of individuals rather than suppressing or modifying the immune system. It has proven to be beneficial for individuals with allergic reactions or allergic diseases.
Read about 6 homeopathy facts that everyone should know.
Food allergies are not very serious and do not affect the quality of life in most cases. All you need to do is make certain lifestyle modifications and learn to manage in case of emergency. A number of general strategies and tips may be helpful in managing food allergies. A few of them include:
Read every label, every time to see whether any additives contain milk protein or byproducts of wheat, or whether a food was produced in a facility that processes nuts. Manufacturers frequently change ingredients and an allergen may be part of a new formulation.
It's a good idea to have two sets of cooking and eating utensils one exclusively for the allergic person and all dishes and utensils should be thoroughly washed in hot, soapy water between uses.
Dining out may seem fun, but if an unknown food allergen is consumed by mistake it can lead to complications. So it is wise to let the manager or chef know about the food allergy before placing the order.
Make sure it lists relevant information about your food allergy and always carry your medication, ideally two doses.
If someone is suffering from a severe allergic reaction the:
Call the local medical emergency number immediately.
See If the person is carrying an epinephrine auto-injector
Help the person inject the medication by pressing the autoinjector against the person's thigh.
Make the person lie face up and be still.
Loosen their tight clothing and cover the person with a blanket.
Turn the person to the side to prevent choking if there's vomiting or bleeding from the mouth.
Position the patient in the Trendelenburg position i.e lying flat on the back with legs elevated in order to allow blood flow to the heart.
If there are no signs of breathing, coughing, or movement, begin CPR (start uninterrupted chest presses about 100 every minute).
Correct first aid can help save a life! Know more about step-by-step instructions for emergency management.
