Studies estimate that more than 50 million Americans have some food allergies. According to the CDC, food allergies affect 4% of children and adults. Food allergies can develop at any age and occur in foods you may have eaten for years without incident.
When most people think of an allergic reaction, they think of itching, hives, and swelling. Food can cause these same reactions; however, several others must be added to the list. Since food is ingested, the responses may be localized or systemic; in other words, they can affect the entire body. Areas affected may include the skin, face, mouth, sinuses, lungs, and GI (gastrointestinal) tract.
You are probably familiar with itching, swelling, hives, and difficulty swallowing but how about these other common symptoms of food allergies?
- Hoarse voice
- Sinus congestion with a runny nose
- Nausea and vomiting
- Abdominal pain
- Fainting
Most food-related allergy symptoms begin within a few minutes of ingestion but can take 4 to 6 hours. This delay may lead you to believe an allergy is not the cause of your symptoms. Even if delayed, it is essential to remember that allergies can dramatically worsen with each new exposure.
The most common foods causing allergy symptoms are milk, eggs, fish and shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soy, and sesame. Although these items are the most common, allergic reactions to almost any food are possible.
Allergies can best be described as your immune system’s response to a foreign substance. It mistakes something usually harmless and produces antibodies, proteins that detect and fight against the perceived dangerous substance. The type of antibody made then leads to a sequence of actions that ultimately produces histamine. Histamine is the chemical that leads to allergy symptoms.
If you have any questions if a particular food is an allergen for you, seek medical attention, including allergy testing.
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