What Is A Food Allergy?
A food allergy is when your immune system overreacts to a particular protein found in a particular food. Symptoms can occur when coming in contact with just a small amount of the food. Unlike other types of food disorders, such as intolerance, food allergies are “IgE mediated.” This means that your immune system produces abnormally large amounts of an antibody called immunoglobulin E, or IgE for short. IgE antibodies fight the “enemy” food allergens by releasing histamine and other chemicals, which trigger the symptoms of an allergic reaction.
A food allergy is a serious medical condition that affects up to 15 million people in the United States and is affecting 1 out of every 13 children.
Although any food is capable of causing an allergic reaction, only eight foods account for 90% of all food allergy reactions in the United States. These eight foods are: cow’s milk, eggs, fish, peanuts, shellfish, soy, tree nuts and wheat.
The foods most associated with a food allergy in children are cow’s milk, eggs and peanuts. Children may outgrow their allergic reactions to milk and eggs, but peanut and tree nut allergies are more likely to persist.
The most common food allergens in adults are fruit and vegetable pollen (oral allergy syndrome), peanuts, tree nuts, fish and shellfish.
What Are The Symptoms?
Allergic reactions to food normally occur within minutes of eating the trigger food, though they can sometimes appear a few hours later. Symptoms of a food allergy include:
• Hives or red, itchy skin
• Stuffy or itchy nose, sneezing, itchy/teary eyes
• Nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps or diarrhea
In some cases, food allergies can cause a severe reaction called anaphylaxis. Signs of this reaction include:
• Angioedema or swelling
• Hoarseness, throat tightness or a lump in the throat
• Wheezing, coughing, chest tightness or trouble breathing
• Tingling in the hands, feet, lips or scalp
• Weak pulse, dizziness, loss of consciousness
In some very rare cases, the reaction may be delayed by four to six hours or even longer.
Though there is no cure for food allergies, there are new developing treatments. One such medication is Palforzia, the first oral immunotherapy for peanut allergy that can mitigate allergic reactions when exposed to peanuts.
What Is Oral Allergy Syndrome?
Oral Allergy Syndrome is a condition where your body confuses proteins in certain fruits and vegetables to pollen found in trees, weeds, and grasses that you are allergic to. It is not a true food allergy, and are found in patients with high seasonal pollen allergies. It also occurs with fresh fruits and vegetables. Cooked forms of these foods do not cause symptoms.
Symptoms of OAS include itchy lips, mouth, tongue and throat. It usually does not progress to life-threatening or anaphylactic reactions, but it is a possibility, so we normally advise avoiding fresh forms of foods that cause issues. Potential treatment options include eating canned/processed forms, peeling the skin, and taking allergy shots (immunotherapy).
Patient Resources.
Food Allergy Research and Education (FARE) for patient support.
American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology AAAAI.org
American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology
http://www.aaaai.org/conditions-and-treatments/allergies/food-allergies.aspx
http://www.foodallergy.org/about-food-allergies
http://acaai.org/allergies/types/food-allergies
To find out more information about our food allergy treatment options, please contact one of our offices at:
New Braunfels office: (830) 625-7612
Schertz office: (210) 654-0944
San Antonio: (210) 908-9230