Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsTypes of Food AllergiesSymptomsWhen Does It Start?CausesDiagnosisTestingTreatmentSevere Food Allergy ReactionPreventionCopingNext in Food Allergies GuideThe 9 Most Common Food Allergies
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Types of Food Allergies
Symptoms
When Does It Start?
Causes
Diagnosis
Testing
Treatment
Severe Food Allergy Reaction
Prevention
Coping
Next in Food Allergies Guide
A food allergy develops when your body’simmune systemresponds abnormally to a particular food. Foods like shellfish, peanuts, and eggs commonly trigger this reaction, ranging from mild to severe or life-threatening.
A food allergy differs fromfood intolerance, which means your body has difficulty properly digesting food, resulting in mild digestive issues.
This article discusses the symptoms, causes, diagnosis, and treatment of food allergies.
Catherine Delahaye/ Getty Images
Many different types of foods can cause food allergies, but some aremore commonthan others. Foods that account for the most allergic reactions in the United States include:
In adults, fish, shellfish, peanuts, and tree nuts prompt the most allergic reactions. Children tend to experience more food allergic reactions with eggs, milk, peanuts, tree nuts, soy, and wheat.
Symptoms of a Food Allergy
An allergic reaction to a specific type of food can look slightly different for everyone. The reaction can be mild or severe and may affect the skin or the respiratory system. This might includesome or all of the following symptoms:
These symptoms can appear a few minutes to hours after ingesting the food.
When Do Food Allergies Start?
There are millions of people living withfood allergies. It’s estimated that up to 6% of children and 4% of adults have them.
Food allergies most commonly develop in infancy and childhood, but they can appear at any age. It’s also possible to develop a food allergy to a food even after having eaten that food for years without an issue.
Food allergies affect roughly 1 in 13 children and 1 in 10 adults in the United States.
What Causes Sudden Food Allergies?
Biological, environmental, and genetic factors causefood allergies.
Researchers are still looking into why some adults experiencesudden onset food allergies; these are an allergic reaction to a food they’ve previously eaten without any issues. One theory is that a sudden or severe life-changing event might play a key role, including:
How Do You Know If You Have a Food Allergy?
Each person will experience a food allergic reaction differently. But in general, you’ll notice symptoms that range from mild to severe that usually begin within two hours of eating a trigger food. These symptoms typically affect the airways, skin, or stomach.
Testing for Food Allergies
If you’re experiencing an allergic reaction to food for the first time and aren’t sure which food triggered this response, you can test for it.
At Home
Healthcare providers typically recommend keeping afood and symptom diaryat home to help determine a diagnosis. This would include recording the foods you’ve eaten, the timing, and any symptoms you’ve experienced for about a week to get an accurate reading.
At-home kitsthat screen for food allergies are also available, but doing homework before using one is important. With potential concerns about their accuracy, it’s best to check with a healthcare provider to get a correct diagnosis.
How to Keep a Food Journal
With a Healthcare Provider
If you suspect you might have a food allergy, make an appointment with a healthcare provider. They will ask questions about your medical history and symptoms, including the types of foods and how much you ate when the reaction appeared, when the symptoms developed, which symptoms you experienced, and how long they lasted.
From there, the following tests may be ordered to help determine whether there are food-specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibodies present in your system:
In some cases, the healthcare provider may recommend an oral food challenge to diagnose a potential food allergy. This process includes ingesting a small amount of the suspected food under strict medical supervision to observe whether or not a reaction occurs. Oral food challenges are more likely to be recommended when the medical history or blood test results are unclear.
Treating Food Allergy Symptoms
Food allergy treatmentdepends on factors like the severity of your symptoms and your overall health. For example:
How Long Do Allergic Reactions Last?
Severe Food Allergy Reaction: What Do You Do?
A mild food allergy symptom may involve discomfort in one or more body areas. But a severe reaction will have serious symptoms that might include shortness of breath, tightness in the throat, widespread hives, swelling of the tongue or lips, dizziness, or ongoing vomiting.
When this happens, it’s important to move quickly, as severe food allergy reactions can become life-threatening. Experts recommend the following steps:
Signs of AnaphylaxisAnaphylaxis is a potentially life-threatening allergic reaction that occurs within minutes to hours of ingesting a trigger substance and requires immediate medical attention.If you notice any of the following signs, stop eating the food and seek emergency medical attention right away:Trouble breathingLow blood pressureShockSwelling of the throat
Signs of Anaphylaxis
Anaphylaxis is a potentially life-threatening allergic reaction that occurs within minutes to hours of ingesting a trigger substance and requires immediate medical attention.If you notice any of the following signs, stop eating the food and seek emergency medical attention right away:Trouble breathingLow blood pressureShockSwelling of the throat
Anaphylaxis is a potentially life-threatening allergic reaction that occurs within minutes to hours of ingesting a trigger substance and requires immediate medical attention.If you notice any of the following signs, stop eating the food and seek emergency medical attention right away:
Can You Prevent Food Allergies?
Unfortunately, there is currently no cure available for food allergies. The best way to prevent an allergic reaction is to avoid the food that causes the issue. Once a healthcare provider has helped you determine which food triggers this response, you should altogether remove them from your diet.
Living With Food Allergies
Living with a food allergycan feel frustrating, especially when constantly worrying about avoiding common foods. Experts recommend the following tips to help you cope and bring some ease to your experience:
Summary
A food allergy develops when your body responds abnormally to certain foods. Common types of food allergies include shellfish, peanuts, and eggs. While many symptoms from a food allergic reaction are mild and may affect the skin or digestive system, some may be severe and even life-threatening.
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Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.MedlinePlus.Food allergy.American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology.Food intolerance defined.U.S. Food and Drug Administration.Food allergies: What you need to know.American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology.Food allergy.American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology.Food allergy symptoms & diagnosis.Food Allergy Research & Education.Facts and statistics.De Martinis M, Sirufo MM, Ginaldi L.Allergy and aging: an old/new emerging health issue.Aging Dis. 2017;8(2):162-175. doi:10.14336/AD.2016.0831Gupta RS, Warren CM, Smith BM, et al.Prevalence and severity of food allergies among US adults.JAMA Netw Open. 2019;2(1):e185630. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2018.5630Takano H, Inoue KI.Environmental pollution and allergies.J Toxicol Pathol. 2017;30(3):193–199. doi:10.1293/tox.2017-0028American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology.All about allergy testing.National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.Guidelines for the diagnosis and management of food allergy in the United States.American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology.What you need to know about oral food challenges.Food and Drug Administration.FDA Approves First Medication to Help Reduce Allergic Reactions to Multiple Foods After Accidental Exposure.American Academy of Family Physicians.Food allergies.Food Allergy Research & Education.Recognizing and treating reaction symptoms.Fischer D, Vander Leek TK, Ellis AK, Kim H.Anaphylaxis.Allergy Asthma Clin Immunol. 2018;14(Suppl 2):54. doi:10.1186/s13223-018-0283-4U.S. Food and Drug Administration.Have food allergies? Read the label.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
MedlinePlus.Food allergy.American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology.Food intolerance defined.U.S. Food and Drug Administration.Food allergies: What you need to know.American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology.Food allergy.American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology.Food allergy symptoms & diagnosis.Food Allergy Research & Education.Facts and statistics.De Martinis M, Sirufo MM, Ginaldi L.Allergy and aging: an old/new emerging health issue.Aging Dis. 2017;8(2):162-175. doi:10.14336/AD.2016.0831Gupta RS, Warren CM, Smith BM, et al.Prevalence and severity of food allergies among US adults.JAMA Netw Open. 2019;2(1):e185630. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2018.5630Takano H, Inoue KI.Environmental pollution and allergies.J Toxicol Pathol. 2017;30(3):193–199. doi:10.1293/tox.2017-0028American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology.All about allergy testing.National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.Guidelines for the diagnosis and management of food allergy in the United States.American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology.What you need to know about oral food challenges.Food and Drug Administration.FDA Approves First Medication to Help Reduce Allergic Reactions to Multiple Foods After Accidental Exposure.American Academy of Family Physicians.Food allergies.Food Allergy Research & Education.Recognizing and treating reaction symptoms.Fischer D, Vander Leek TK, Ellis AK, Kim H.Anaphylaxis.Allergy Asthma Clin Immunol. 2018;14(Suppl 2):54. doi:10.1186/s13223-018-0283-4U.S. Food and Drug Administration.Have food allergies? Read the label.
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American Academy of Family Physicians.Food allergies.
Food Allergy Research & Education.Recognizing and treating reaction symptoms.
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U.S. Food and Drug Administration.Have food allergies? Read the label.
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