Food Allergies Explained, Plain and Simple

By Danielle Chapman

A food allergy can happen when your immune system misinterprets something in a certain type of food you have eaten (or a medicine you have taken) as a foreign agent, like a germ or virus.

There are millions of people in the U.S. with food allergies who have reactions mostly to nuts, wheat, milk and seafood. Anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours after ingesting the offending food or medicine, the body releases ‘histamines’, a chemical that might bother the throat, nose or eyes, making it hard for a person to breathe or really bothering the person’s stomach. He or she may get a rash or a headache. It can be a mild or severe reaction, depending on how allergic the person is to the food or medicine. Sometimes a person may develop anaphylaxis, a severe reaction that requires immediate medical attention. This type of reaction involves several symptoms at once that may include a drop in blood pressure. Many people with this type of severe allergy sometimes carry a special medicine called an epinephrine injection to help slow the symptoms until they can get to a doctor for medical attention.

Sometimes, a person has what is called a ‘food intolerance’. Those who have a lactose intolerance are not allergic to milk. They simply are unable to digest, or break down, the natural sugars that are found in milk. The same goes for those who have an intolerance to MSG; the person’s body has a problem breaking down the MSG. Intolerances produce symptoms that can make a person pretty uncomfortable and since the symptoms are so similar to a person with an actual allergy, this is how intolerances and allergies sometimes get mixed up.

Most of the time a person can tell if they have a food allergy because symptoms such as stomach upset or a rash occurs right after eating the food. If the symptoms are slow to show, then there might be a lot more guessing going on. So how can you find out for sure? If the symptoms are only mild, eliminate the food for a week or two and then eat it again and wait for symptoms to show. However, it can be impossible to tell when eating foods with more than one ingredient. Your doctor can do a blood test or he or she may send you to an allergist for a ‘patch test’. This is a simple skin test where the allergist makes a tiny little scratch on your skin and applies a liquid version of the food you are allergic to. If there is a reaction, such as a little red bump, then that means you have your answer!

But then what?

You will then need to avoid that food item. In general, using common sense and reading food labels will keep you safe and your allergist will likely give you a list of safe and unsafe foods. Get yourself a gameplan in case of an accidental ingestion. More than likely, if it is not an overly severe reaction, a dose of antihistamine will be all you need. The good new is that when it comes to kids, most outgrow their allergies as they get older. Sometimes not. Either way, having an allergy doesn’t mean having to give up favorite treats. Food companies are extremely aware of the market for wheat and egg free products, such as cookies, lactose-free cheese for pizzas and delicious soy based ice creams that come in every flavor, guaranteeing you’ll never feel left out!

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