Food Allergy

Food allergy is common. Most appear during childhood, but some appear later in life. Very often, it is impossible for us to find out what food we are allergic to because food allergic reaction usually appears hours after consuming a particular food.

What is Food allergy?

Food allergy is an adverse reaction that occurs after eating a certain food. It is driven by our own body’s immune system. In other words, your immune system does not like the food you consume, therefore produces antibodies against the food, known as immunoglobulin E (IgE).

What are the symptoms of Food allergy?

Common food allergy symptoms include:

Skin

Rashes, hives, itching of the skin
Itching or tingling sensation in the mouth
Swelling of the face, lips, around the eyes, tongue, throat

Digestive system

Nausea and vomiting
Abdominal pain and diarrhoea

Lungs

Wheezing and nasal congestion
Difficulty in breathing

Circulatory system

Lightheadedness
Dizziness

Sometimes, food allergy can trigger a severe life-threatening reaction known as anaphylaxis. Symptoms and signs include:

Swollen tongue and throat
Tightening of airway
Difficulty in breathing
Severe wheezing
Drop in blood pressure
Rise in pulse rate
Severe dizziness
Loss of consciousness

What are common food allergies?

Food allergies are usually triggered by certain proteins present in the food. Common food allergies in adults and children are:

Eggs
Nuts such as peanuts and tree nuts
Shellfish such as crab and shrimp
Fish
Milk
Wheat

How do we know?

A lot of us are unable to determine the exact food we are allergic to because we often do not remember what we eat for lunch! Fortunately, we do not have to squeeze our brain trying to recall the details. There are simple tests we can do to pinpoint the exact content of the food our immune system dislikes.

As mentioned earlier, our immune system produces an antibody called IgE against certain food we consume. Therefore, if we can detect these specific IgE antibodies.

This is simply known as food allergy test. Only a blood sample is needed to carry out this test. The results are useful for you and the doctors to manage the allergies appropriately.