Suffering from vomiting, pain in the abdomen, or diarrhea after eating food? You might be suffering from Food Allergy!

Our body’s immune system protects us from infections and other dangers to good health. Sometimes this immune system overreacts to a food substance identifying it as a danger and triggering a protective response. This is what we call a Food Allergy.

It is an emergency that typically occurs within the first few minutes to 2 hours and can produce the sudden onset of hives, itching, and swelling of the face, tongue, or back of the throat that may be accompanied by difficulty in breathing, lightheadedness, and hypotension. Some of the risk factors for severe food allergies are the presence of severe uncontrolled asthma, long-term oral steroid use, younger age, severe sensitization to food allergens, consumption of food on an empty stomach, consumption of raw food rather than cooked food to which the patient is sensitized.

Food allergy should not be confused with Food Intolerance, the common one being Lactose Intolerance. The symptoms of food intolerance are nausea, diarrhea, bloating, and pain in the abdomen.

Food allergy can affect multiple organs like the Skin, Gastrointestinal tract, and Respiratory system and can cause oral and generalized reactions. Although more than 170 foods have been reported to cause food allergies, the most common allergens are Milk, egg, wheat, fish, soya, peanuts, tree nuts, shellfish, and sesame. Allergies to Milk, soya, eggs, and wheat may disappear over time but allergies to peanuts and fish may be lifelong.

One can develop an allergy to a food that they have been eating for years without any problem. Some foods maintain their allergenicity even after food processing and cooking and are resistant to stomach acids. Food allergens in breast milk can trigger an allergic response in a suckling infant. Patients with food allergies usually have nutritional deficiencies. These deficiencies could also be due to extensive elimination diets which they do without finding out the exact causative agent. Avoidance of food is quite difficult and apart from causing nutritional deficiencies, can also cause anxiety, depression, and decreased quality of life.

Finding out the food allergen responsible is very important. You should consult an allergy specialist. Give the following detailed history- What were the symptoms? What was the food consumed? after how much time of intake of meals did symptoms develop? Any co-factors like medication, exercise, or alcohol were associated with it? What was the most severe reaction? What treatment was given in the previous episode? Any family history of food allergy and atopy? Any history of Allergic rhinitis, Asthma, or Atopic dermatitis?

Allergy specialists will do certain tests like Skin Prick Test or Blood tests like Serum-Specific IgE tests. The other 2 tests are CRD and the Oral food challenge test.

Treatment: Oral Immunotherapy consists of feeding an allergen to an allergic individual regularly in gradually increased amounts to achieve oral desensitization (when an individual can consume a specified quantity of an allergen without a reaction while undergoing therapy).

The best way to manage Food allergy is to avoid eating that food. Parents and children must be educated about how to manage any kind of reaction to food allergy. Patients suffering from food allergies should always carry an EpiPen. Children and their caregivers should be taught the use of “EpiPen”. EpiPen is an autoinjector that contains the lifesaving medication Epinephrine.

Prevention of Food allergy: According to the LEAP study, highly allergenic foods should be introduced early in the diet of an infant, especially peanuts. Infants should be breastfed strictly for 6 months. At home, meals should be prepared to avoid cross-contact. Table tops, utensils, cookware, and storage containers should be thoroughly cleaned with soap and water. Good handwashing should be practiced. Vigilance should be maintained while dining out or traveling on public transportation.

Dietary avoidance during pregnancy as an allergy preventive measure,of  particular foods is not advised.