Food Allergy 101

Doctors are constantly seeing a rise in food allergies. There are 8 common allergens that account for most food allergies, and these are certainly the items that most people should pay attention to. They include milk, eggs, peanuts, soy, wheat, tree nuts, fish, and shellfish.
While some food allergies are easy to outgrow, others are not. Most kids who are allergic to milk, eggs, wheat or soy do outgrow their allergies by the time that they are five years old. However, only about 20% of people with peanut allergy and about 10% of kids with tree nut allergies will outgrow them. Interestingly, the fish and shellfish allergies usually develop later in life and people don’t generally outgrow them quickly.
When you have a food allergy, that means that you react to a specific food in a physical way. While some reactions are mild, others can be very severe and even life threatening. Most reactions last for less than one day, and can affect any of the following four body systems.
You might have a skin reaction that can cause itchy, red hives, eczema or redness and swelling near the mouth or face. You might have symptoms that hit your stomach and cause stomach cramps, nausea or vomiting. Respiratory issues can range from having a stuffy nose to asthma. Finally, you might have cardiovascular issues with lightheadedness or fainting.