A food allergy happens when your immune system mistakes the food you eat for something harmful. When this happens, the immune system releases an immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibody to neutralize the allergen. Once the initial reaction occurs, your body will automatically respond whenever you eat that food again, even in small quantities. Your body will release histamines and other chemicals into your bloodstream, which causes allergy symptoms.
Common food allergies
Food allergies are estimated to affect between 4 percent and 6 percent of children and 4 percent of adults. While they are more common in children, it is possible to develop allergies to foods you’ve eaten many times without issue as an adult. Although food allergies can be hereditary, there is no way to predict them. Allergic reactions can range from mild to severe. While an initial allergy reaction can be mild, that does not mean subsequent reactions will be.
The following foods account for 90 percent of food allergies:
- Eggs
- Peanuts
- Milk and dairy
- Tree nuts
- Fish
- Shellfish
- Wheat
- Soy
- Sesame
Signs of a food allergy
Food allergy symptoms can appear in the gastrointestinal tract, skin, cardiovascular system and respiratory tract. Occasionally, the symptoms won’t show up for several hours, but this is very rare.
Because allergies can range from mild to severe, it is crucial to know the signs of a food allergy. Reactions can show up independently or they can affect multiple body parts at once.
Food allergy reactions can show up in the following ways:
- Pale or blue skin coloring
- Shock or circulatory collapse
- Tingling, itchiness or fuzziness in the mouth
- Noticeable swelling
- Difficulty swallowing
- Itchiness or dryness of the skin
- Hives or rashes on the skin
- Congestion or difficulty breathing
- Gastrointestinal issues
- Dizziness or lightheadedness
- Coughing and sneezing
- Itchy, red or watery Eyes
- Anaphylaxis
What is anaphylaxis?
While all of these symptoms are serious, anaphylaxis is a potentially life-threatening allergic reaction. It can come on suddenly, and symptoms include a skin rash, difficulty breathing, nausea, vomiting and shock. If not treated right away, anaphylaxis can cause death.
People with asthma or a family history of anaphylaxis are more at risk of this reaction. If you’ve experienced anaphylaxis, it is essential to carry an epinephrine auto injector, also called an EpiPen, which is injected into the thigh.
In an emergency, be sure that not only you know how to use the auto injector but that friends and family do as well.
Understanding food allergies
Once you’ve gotten immediate treatment for a food allergy, be sure to write down everything you ate that day, even if you’ve consumed those foods multiple times. This is valuable information to have when you meet with an allergist. While it can be tempting to figure out the allergy causes on your own, it is imperative to enlist the help of an allergist. They will take note of your medical history, as well as the foods you typically eat. They’ll also ask about the severity of your symptoms and how quickly they presented after eating.
An allergist will typically follow up with a blood or skin test to help pinpoint the specific foods causing your allergic reactions. Because subsequent responses can be more intense than the initial one, avoid any foods that might have caused the allergy until they’ve been ruled out by testing from a medical professional.
The permanence of food allergies
While allergies that develop in adulthood are typically permanent, childhood allergies can sometimes go away. Allergies like tree nuts, peanuts, shellfish and fish are lifelong, whereas allergies to milk, eggs, soy and wheat can disappear. If you weren’t exposed to common allergens as a child, it could increase the likelihood of developing an allergy as an adult.
Exercise-induced food allergies
A less common form of food allergy is exercise-induced food allergies. For this type of allergy, the reaction won’t occur unless you do something physical after consuming the food. This reaction can be caused by intense workouts or by normal physical activities such as shoveling, raking leaves or dancing. While any food can cause exercise-induced allergies, peanuts, shellfish, tomatoes, corn and wheat are the most common culprits.
Suppose you notice symptoms such as hives, nausea, dizziness, swelling, cramps, diarrhea, coughing, wheezing or difficulty breathing during a workout or intense physical activity. In that case, you might be experiencing an exercise-induced allergic reaction.
These reactions can start off mild but increase quickly in severity. If this happens, stop the physical activity and rest. Often, rest will be what you need, but symptoms can occasionally worsen. In that instance, contact emergency medical services immediately.
Living with food allergies
Depending on the severity of the food allergy, a reaction could happen simply from contact with crumbs on a plate or remnants of food on a utensil. It’s imperative to meet with medical professionals and educate yourself about your allergies. Always carry your EpiPen with you. Learn to read food labels carefully, and always ask how food is prepared at the grocery store or restaurant.
The bottom line
Because food allergy symptoms can be severe, you must contact your healthcare provider or emergency services when you experience an allergic reaction. Anaphylaxis is a potentially life-threatening reaction that impairs breathing and can send the body into shock. Here’s a tool to find an urgent care provider near you in a medical emergency.