Food Allergy

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Food Allergy

 

Food allergy affects up to 6 to 8 percent of children under the age of three and 2 percent of adults. If you have an unpleasant reaction to something you have eaten, you might wonder if you have a food allergy. One out of three people either believe they have a food allergy or modify their or their family ’s diet. Thus, while food allergy is commonly suspected, health care providers diagnose it less frequently than most people believe.

What Is Food Allergy?

Food allergy is an abnormal response to a food triggered by the body ’s immune system .
Allergic reactions to food can cause serious illness and, in some cases, death. Therefore, if you have a food allergy, it is extremely important for you to work with your health care provider to find out what food(s)causes your allergic reaction.
Sometimes, a reaction to food is not an allergy at all but another type of reaction called “food intolerance.”
Food intolerance is more common than food allergy. The immune system does not cause the symptoms of a food intolerance, though these symptoms can look and feel like those of a food allergy.