Food allergies afflict an estimated 12 million people in the United States, with over 6 million of them allergic to seafood alone. Food allergies are different than simple food intolerance because they are an actual response by the immune system to a perceived threat.
Food allergies are created when the immune system interprets a certain food as a threat and takes action against it. A specific type of antibody is made by the immune system in response to this new threat. The next time you eat that particular food, the immune system recognizes it and sends out these new antibodies. This causes an inflammatory reaction where histamine is sent out throughout your body. The histamine is what makes your throat, lips, tongue, or eyelids swell. A severe allergic reaction can require hospitalization as the throat begins to close up and makes breathing impossible.
While you can become allergic to almost any food, there are certain foods that are known to cause more problems than any other. It is estimated that these eight foods make up almost 90% of all reported food allergies. Eggs, dairy products, peanuts, wheat, soy, other nuts (almonds, pecans, etc.), fish, and shellfish the the foods most likely to cause allergic reactions. Kids are more commonly allergic to peanuts, eggs, and milk, while adults are generally allergic to fish and shellfish, along with peanuts. Peanut food allergies are among the most dangerous, with some of the more severe reactions leading to death.
If you suspect you may have food allergies, contact your doctor immediately for a test. It is important that you find out exactly which foods to avoid so you do not have another allergic reaction. Each time the immune system responds to a food-related threat, it sends out more antibodies, so the reaction may be more severe the next time.
Once your doctor has identified the food that is causing your problems, you may have to go on an elimination diet to confirm this. Simply take the offending food out of your diet for a few weeks and see if the symptoms subside. If they do, gradually add the food back in, stopping at any sign of an allergic reaction. If the reaction return, it is most likely that food which is causing your food allergies. This may be sufficient evidence for your doctor or he may wish to perform additional testing to narrow it down even further.
The most common test for food allergies is the skin prick test. The skin is poked to open a small hole, where a drop of the suspected allergen is placed. The allergen can seep into the skin through the prick and will form a small bump on the surface if a reaction ensues. The radioallergosorbent test (RAST) is more involved, but is also far more accurate than looking for a bump on the skin. The RAST test requires a blood sample and is also used to test young children for food allergies as the results are easier to read and analyze.
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