Food Allergy | Anaphylaxis | Food Allergies | MedlinePlus

Food Allergy | Anaphylaxis | Food Allergies | MedlinePlus

Food Allergy

MEDICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA

• Allergy testing - skin
• Anaphylaxis
• Food allergy

Related Health Topics

• Allergy
• Anaphylaxis
• Celiac Disease
• Lactose Intolerance

National Institutes of Health

The primary NIH organization for research on Food Allergy is theNational Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

NIH MedlinePlus Magazine

• Don't Sweat the Small Stuff: Food Allergy Sufferer Lives a Cautious but Normal Life
• Food Allergy 101
• Understanding Food Allergy: Latest Updates from NIH

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Summary

Food allergy is an abnormal response to a food triggered by your body's immune system.

In adults, the foods that most often trigger allergic reactions include fish, shellfish, peanuts, and tree nuts, such as walnuts. Problem foods for children can include eggs, milk, peanuts, tree nuts, soy, and wheat.

The allergic reaction may be mild. In rare cases it can cause a severe reaction called anaphylaxis. Symptoms of food allergy include

• Itching or swelling in your mouth
• Vomiting, diarrhea, or abdominal cramps and pain
• Hives or eczema
• Tightening of the throat and trouble breathing
• Drop in blood pressure

Your health care provider may use a detailed history, elimination diet, and skin and blood tests to diagnose a food allergy.

When you have food allergies, you must be prepared to treat an accidental exposure. Wear a medical alert bracelet or necklace, and carry an auto-injector device containing epinephrine (adrenaline).

You can only prevent the symptoms of food allergy by avoiding the food. After you and your health care provider have identified the foods to which you are sensitive, you must remove them from your diet.

NIH: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

Start Here

• Food Allergies (American Academy of Family Physicians)Also in Spanish
• Food Allergy (American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology)
• Food Allergy (American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology)Also in Spanish

Symptoms

• Food Allergy Symptoms and Diagnosis (Beyond the Basics) (UpToDate)
• Symptoms (Food Allergy Research & Education)

Diagnosis and Tests

• Allergy Blood Test  (National Library of Medicine)Also in Spanish
• Allergy Skin Tests (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
• Allergy Tests: When You Need Them and When You Don't (ABIM Foundation)
• Getting the Facts on Food Allergy Testing(American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology) - PDF
• Reasons to Do Food Challenges (National Jewish Health)

Treatments and Therapies

• Food Allergy Treatment and Avoidance (Beyond the Basics) (UpToDate)
• Treatment and Managing Reactions (Food Allergy Research & Education)

Living With

• Avoiding Cross-Contact (Food Allergy Research & Education)
• Dining Out (Food Allergy Research & Education)
• Have Food Allergies? Read the Label (Food and Drug Administration)
• Living Well Everyday (Food Allergy Research & Education)
• Managing Food Allergies at College (Food Allergy Research & Education) - PDF
• Managing Food Allergies at Home (Food Allergy Research & Education)
• Taking Care of Yourself (Food Allergy Research & Education)
• Traveling with Food Allergies (Food Allergy Research & Education)

Related Issues

• Eosinophilic Esophagitis: MedlinePlus Health Topic  (National Library of Medicine)
• Food Allergies: Understanding Food Labels (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)Also in Spanish
• Food Intolerance vs. Food Allergy: What's the Difference?(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)Also in Spanish
• Related Medical Conditions (Food Allergy Research & Education)

Specifics

• Egg Allergy (Nemours Foundation)Also in Spanish
• Fish Allergy (Nemours Foundation)Also in Spanish
• Fish Allergy (Food Allergy Research & Education)
• Milk Allergy (Food Allergy Research & Education)
• Milk Allergy (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
• Other Allergens (Food Allergy Research & Education)
• Peanut Allergy (Food Allergy Research & Education)
• Peanut Allergy (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
• Shellfish Allergy (Nemours Foundation)Also in Spanish
• Shellfish Allergy (Food Allergy Research & Education)
• Soy Allergy (Food Allergy Research & Education)
• Soy Allergy (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)Also in Spanish
• Tree Nut Allergies (Food Allergy Research & Education)
• Wheat Allergy (Food Allergy Research & Education)
• Wheat Allergy (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)Also in Spanish

Videos and Tutorials

• Virtual Allergist (American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology)

Statistics and Research

• Facts and Statistics about Food Allergies (Food Allergy Research & Education)
• Food Allergy  (National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases)
• Food Allergy Among U.S. Children: Trends in Prevalence and Hospitalizations(National Center for Health Statistics)
• Impact of Food Allergy on Asthma in Children (American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology)
• Preschoolers Benefit from Peanut Allergy Therapy  (National Institutes of Health)
• Trends in Allergic Conditions among Children: United States, 1997-2011(National Center for Health Statistics)
• Understanding Food Allergies: How to Prevent Peanut Allergy and More (National Institutes of Health)
• Unexplained Cases of Allergic Reactions Linked to Red Meat  (National Institutes of Health)Also in Spanish

Clinical Trials

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Egg Hypersensitivity  (National Institutes of Health)
• ClinicalTrials.gov: Food Hypersensitivity  (National Institutes of Health)
• ClinicalTrials.gov: Milk Hypersensitivity  (National Institutes of Health)
• ClinicalTrials.gov: Nut Hypersensitivity  (National Institutes of Health)
• ClinicalTrials.gov: Peanut Hypersensitivity  (National Institutes of Health)
• ClinicalTrials.gov: Wheat Hypersensitivity  (National Institutes of Health)

Journal ArticlesReferences and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

• Article: Oral and sublingual immunotherapy for egg allergy. 
• Article: Peanut Allergy Prevention. 
• Article: Genome-wide association study of maternal genetic effects and parent-of-origin effects... 
• Food Allergy -- see more articles 

Find an Expert

• Find an Allergist/Immunologist (American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology)
• Kids with Food Allergies 
• National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases 

Finance and Policy

• Food Allergies: Understanding Food Labels (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)Also in Spanish

Children

• Allergies and Hyperactivity (and sugar) (American Academy of Pediatrics)Also in Spanish
• Asthma and Food Allergies (American Academy of Pediatrics)Also in Spanish
• Egg Allergy (Nemours Foundation)Also in Spanish
• Food Allergies (Nemours Foundation)Also in Spanish
• Going to School with Food Allergies (Nemours Foundation)Also in Spanish
• Infant Allergies and Food Sensitivities (American Academy of Pediatrics)Also in Spanish
• Milk Allergy in Infants (Nemours Foundation)Also in Spanish
• Nut and Peanut Allergy (Nemours Foundation)

Teenagers

• Egg Allergy (Nemours Foundation)
• Food Allergies (Nemours Foundation)Also in Spanish
• Food Allergies in Schools (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
• Milk Allergy (Nemours Foundation)Also in Spanish
• Nut and Peanut Allergy (Nemours Foundation)Also in Spanish
• Shellfish Allergy (Nemours Foundation)

Patient Handouts

• Allergy testing - skin (Medical Encyclopedia)Also in Spanish
• Anaphylaxis (Medical Encyclopedia)Also in Spanish
• Food allergy (Medical Encyclopedia)Also in Spanish