There are approximately 12 million people with food allergies in the US. A food allergy is an over-response of the immune system to a food that the person eats. It usually manifests as a rash such as hives, stuffy or itchy nose and eyes, vomiting, stomach cramps or diarrhea. It can also cause more serious conditions such as angioedema or swelling, chest tightness, throat closure or even anaphylaxis!

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There have even been a number of deaths attributed to food allergies.

Most reactions occur within minutes after eating the food, but some can take hours to manifest.

The most common foods causing allergy include:

• Eggs
• Cow’s Milk
• Peanuts
• Soy
• Wheat
• Tree Nuts
• Fish
• Shellfish

Some people know exactly what foods cause their allergy. Others need the help of a doctor to narrow down and locate the cause. Typically the allergist will begin with a complete medical history to narrow down the causative food. This will include questions about your diet and the time relation of ingesting the food to the reactions. They may also recommend allergy skin tests to confirm the diagnosis. With skin tests, the skin is pricked with a plastic prong through the food extract on the skin. Within 20 minute a raised wheal may occur indicating a food allergen.

Once the offending food is determined, the allergist can help you avoid those foods to minimize ongoing reactions and will often give the patient inject able adrenaline to counteract any serious reactions occurring from the accidental ingestion of the offending food.

Allergies to certain foods such as cow’s milk and eggs may disappear overtime; however reactions to foods such as peanuts and tree nuts tend to be life-long and must be avoided indefinitely

Please contact our office if you feel you suffer from food allergies so we can help you determine the cause and better understand what foods to avoid and how to treat potential reactions.

Call us today: 650-216-6111