Food Allergies
If you are having any symptoms or have any questions, please call 811 to speak with a registered nurse 24 hours a day.
OVERVIEW
What is a food allergy?
A food allergy is an abnormal reaction by your immune system to a food. The reaction can be mild or serious. Food intolerance is different than a food allergy. Food intolerance is an unpleasant symptom triggered by food (bloating, gas, stomach cramps). However, it does not involve the immune system.
SYMPTOMS
What are the symptoms of food allergy?
Symptoms of a food allergy are usually immediate. The most common immediate symptoms of food allergy include the following:
- Hives (large bumps on the skin)
- Swelling
- Itchy skin
- Itchiness or tingling in the mouth
- A metallic taste in the mouth
- Coughing, trouble breathing or wheezing
- Throat tightness
- Diarrhea
- Vomiting
The person may also feel that something bad is going to happen. They may have pale skin (because of low blood pressure) or lose consciousness. They may also have chronic illnesses. The most common chronic illnesses associated with food allergies are eczema and asthma.
A food allergy can be fatal if it is severe enough to cause a reaction called anaphylaxis. This reaction blocks the airways and makes it hard for a person to breathe.
CAUSES & RISK FACTORS
What foods commonly cause allergic reactions?
Although people can be allergic to any kind of food, most food allergies are caused by tree nuts, peanuts, milk, eggs, soy, wheat, fish and shellfish. These, in addition to mustard and sesame seeds have been identified by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency as the key substances most frequently associated with food allergies.
Studies have found that some food additives, such as yellow food dye, and aspartame an artificial sweetener, do cause problems in some people. Sugar and fats aren’t associated with food allergies.
DIAGNOSIS
How are food allergies diagnosed?
If you’ve had an abnormal reaction to a food, contact your healthcare provider. They may examine your symptoms and ask about your health history. Your healthcare provider may put you on an elimination diet. This is when you don’t eat any suspicious foods for a while then gradually add them back one at a time. Your healthcare provider also may perform skin and blood tests, though these are not as reliable as the elimination diet.
Many children usually outgrow allergies to milk, eggs, soybean products, and wheat. People rarely outgrow allergies to peanuts, tree nuts, fish, and shellfish.
TREATMENT
If you have a mild reaction (itching, sneezing, hives, or rash), your healthcare provider will give you antihistamines and oral or topical steroid medicine. A severe reaction of anaphylaxis is treated with a medicine called epinephrine. This medicine must be given quickly to save your life. If you or your child has a severe allergy, your healthcare provider may give you a prescription for an epinephrine pen to carry at all times. Your healthcare provider or pharmacist can show you how and when to use the pen. A person having a serious allergic reaction should be taken by ambulance to a hospital emergency room.
Living with food allergies
Living with food allergies can cause fear and anxiety when you’re eating at a restaurant or someone else’s home. You will always wonder if your problem food is combined with the rest of the meal. Also, if you have food allergies to most of the common foods, you can feel frustrated by the restrictions in your life.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Food Allergy Canada
Health Canada
56051