Food Allergies Support Group

Patients present with skin symptoms, throat tightness, shortness of breath, lightheadedness and/or stomach symptoms. The symptoms usually develop within half an hour of ingesting the allergen.

Rarely, food allergy can lead to anaphylactic shock: hypotension (low blood pressure) and loss of consciousness. This is a medical emergency. Allergens commonly associated with this type of reaction are peanuts, nuts, milk, egg and seafoods. Latex products can induce similar reactions.

Food allergy is thought to develop more easily in patients with the atopic syndrome, a very common combination of diseases: allergic rhinitis and conjunctivitis, eczema and asthma. The syndrome has a strong inherited component; a family history of these diseases can be indicative of the atopic syndrome.

The mainstay of treatment for food allergy is avoidance of the foods that have been identified as allergens.

If the food is accidentally ingested and a systemic reaction occurs, then epinephrine (best delivered in an Epipen) should be used. It is possible that a second Epipen dose may be required for severe reactions. The patient should seek medical care.

At this time, there is no allergy desensitization or allergy "shots" available for food allergy.

For reasons that are not entirely understood, the diagnosis of food allergies has become more common in Western nations in recent times. (This trend seems to apply to asthma as well.) In the United States, it is believed that about 4% of the population suffers from food allergies. In children, this number is believed to be significantly higher.

The most common food allergens include peanuts, milk, eggs, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, soy, and wheat - these foods account for about 90% of all allergic reactions.