Food allergy is one of the most common conditions, affecting about 6% of adults and 8% of kids worldwide. These numbers are rising.
Common food allergies include dairy products andnuts andpeanuts, and some food allergies can be outgrown later in life.
Food allergies can come from different foods, so anyone can be allergic to almost anything. But there are 8 foods especially known for causing food allergies. In this article, we will learn about it, its symptoms, and how to manage it.
What is food allergy or food sensitivity?
Food allergy or food sensitivity is a condition where some foods trigger the immune system to react wrongly to certain proteins in those foods, treating them as harmful and attacking them.
When the immune system attacks food, it causes symptoms that range from mild to severe. It can even lead to an extreme allergy called anaphylaxis.
Food allergy symptoms include:
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Swelling of the mouth, tongue, or face.
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Skin rash, itching, and redness.
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Difficulty breathing and wheezing.
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Low blood pressure.
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Nausea and vomiting.
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Diarrhea.
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Chills.
Besides that, food allergies can cause severe cases of anaphylaxis, which include the above symptoms but worse, and can sometimes be fatal.
Top 8 common food allergy causes
As mentioned before, any food can cause an allergy in anyone, but some foods are more known than others for causing food allergies, which include:-
1. Cow's Milk
Food allergy to cow's milk usually appears in infants and young children. It's one of the most common food allergies in kids, affecting about 2-3% of infants and young children worldwide.
But the good news is that 90% of kids outgrow cow's milk allergy by age three, so it's less common in adults. Cow's milk allergy can be divided into two types: IgE immune response and non-IgE immune response.
Kids with the IgE type of cow's milk allergy usually have an allergic reaction within 5-30 minutes of drinking cow's milk or using its products. Symptoms include swelling, rash, itching, vomiting, and in rare cases, severe allergic reaction or anaphylaxis.
Meanwhile, the non-IgE immune response type shows symptoms mostly related to the digestive system, like vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, and stomach lining inflammation. This type can be harder to diagnose because symptoms look like intolerance which has no specific test.
There is no treatment for cow's milk food allergy except avoiding cow's milk and all products that might contain it, including:-
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Milk.
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Powdered milk.
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Cheese.
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Ghee.
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Yogurt.
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Ice cream.
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Cream.
2. Eggs
Allergy to eggs It is the second most common cause of food allergies in kids, but about 68% of children outgrow it by age 16. Egg allergy symptoms can include:
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Digestive problems, like stomach pain.
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Skin reaction, like itching and rash.
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Breathing problems.
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In rare cases, severe allergic reaction or anaphylaxis.
Egg allergy can be to egg white only, not yolk, or vice versa. This happens because the proteins in egg white are different from those in yolk. Most egg allergies are due to proteins in the egg white, so white egg allergy is the most common.
Treatment for egg food allergy involves following an egg-free diet. Still, people with egg allergy might not have to avoid all foods linked to egg, because heating egg can change the proteins that cause the allergy.
In the end, this change can stop the body from seeing these proteins as harmful and needing attack. Research shows about 67% of kids with egg allergy can handle eating pancakes with egg. Also, eating these foods early can shorten the time kids have the allergy. But talk to a doctor before trying this.
3. Tree nuts
Tree nut allergy means being allergic to some kinds of nuts and seeds from trees. It's a common food allergy affecting 3% of people worldwide. Examples causing this allergy include:
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Brazil nuts.
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Macadamia.
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Pine nut.
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Walnut.
Besides nuts, people with a food allergy to tree nuts also react to food products made from those nuts, like nut butter and oils extracted from them.
If you have a food allergy to any nut, you should avoid all other nuts too, because it raises the risk of allergy to the rest. Plus, it's easier to skip all kinds than risk eating the one that triggers your allergy.
Unlike most other food allergies that go away later in life, tree nut allergy usually lasts for life.
Also, nut allergy is a life-threatening type of allergy, with 50% of deaths from severe allergic reactions or anaphylaxis caused by nut allergy. So people with any nut allergy should always carry an epinephrine injector, like Epiren, which can save them in emergencies.
4. Peanuts
Allergy is considered peanut like tree nut allergies, and often people who have peanut allergies also have nut allergies too, but technically peanuts are not classified as nuts, they belong to the family of legumes.
The number of people with peanut allergies is unknown, but people with a family history of peanut allergies are usually more at risk of getting it.
Peanut allergy affects 1-3% of kids and up to 2% of adults worldwide, but about 15-22% of kids may outgrow peanut allergies by their teen years.
The only treatment for peanut allergy, like other food allergies, is to avoid peanuts and peanut products in the diet.
5. Shellfish (crustaceans)
Crustacean and mollusk fish cause a food allergy known as shellfish allergy. This family of fish includes several types as follows:-
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Shrimp.
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Prawns.
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Lobster.
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Crab.
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Squid.
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Shellfish.
Shellfish allergy symptoms usually appear quickly and are like other food allergies, but sometimes it's hard to tell the difference between a food allergy and food poisoning since their symptoms are similar.
Food poisoning is common with seafood, so if a group eats it and all show the same symptoms, it's likely food poisoning. If it's one person and happens every time they eat seafood, then it's a food allergy.
Seafood allergies don't usually go away over time, so you should avoid shellfish and all types of it in your diet. Also stay away from places where they’re cooked because the cooking fumes might cause allergic reactions even if you don't eat it.
6. Wheat
Wheat allergy is an allergic reaction to a protein found in wheat. It mostly affects kids more than others, but they usually outgrow it by age ten.
Like other allergies, wheat allergy can cause problems with digestion, breathing, and skin. In worse cases, it can cause a severe allergic reaction or anaphylaxis.
Usually, wheat allergy can be mistaken for diseases likeceliac disease and Gluten sensitivity, which might have the same symptoms too, but these diseases come from a response to one protein only which is gluten, found in many grains and other products besides wheat.
While wheat allergy is caused by one of the hundreds of proteins found only in wheat, and the allergic reaction can be severe and sometimes deadly, the only treatment is to avoid wheat and its products in the diet for those affected.
7. Soy
Soy allergy affects up to 0.5% of kids. It’s more common in kids under three. It’s triggered by a protein in soybeans or products containing it. But about 70% of kids outgrow this allergy by puberty.
Symptoms can range from mouth itching and runny nose to skin rash, asthma, and breathing trouble. In rare cases, it leads to severe allergic reaction or anaphylaxis.
Soy allergy causes also include soy products like milk and sauce. The only treatment for this allergy is avoiding soy and its products in the diets of affected people.
8. Fish
Fish allergy is common among adults, affecting up to 7% of adults worldwide. Like other allergies, people usually get fish allergy from childhood and it’s unlikely to develop later in life.
Like shellfish allergy, food allergy to fish can cause an allergic or severe reaction and can sometimes be deadly. It’s often confused with food poisoning, as we mentioned earlier with shellfish allergy.
The main symptoms of fish food allergy are vomiting, swelling, itching, and other known allergy signs.
If you suspect you have any kind of food allergy, make sure to consult a specialist doctor, get the necessary tests, and avoid allergy triggers in your diet to prevent more serious situations.
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