Explanations of Food Allergy and how it works

Introduction to Food Allergy

An allergy is an abnormal reaction of the body's immune system to a specific substance. Hay fever is classical example of an allergy the offending substance is pollen, the reaction is itchy, red eyes, sneezing and marked nasal irritation. True allergic reactions can also be caused by certain foodstuffs, and it is thought that about two in every thousand are affected by food allergy.

Common allergy producing foods include eggs, milk, fish, shellfish, nuts, wheat, cheese, yeast, chocolate and strawberries. Food colourants and dyes, such as the orange colourant tartrazine (E102) are also capable of producing allergic reactions. An allergy is a very `personal' thing, as people react differently to different foods indeed, one man's meat can be very much another man's poison!

Symptoms of a food allergy can come on very rapidly after ingesting the offending item. They can include any of the following: swollen lips, tongue and throat, abdominal pain, diarrhoea, vomiting, palpitations, chest pain, asthma, migraine and skin rashes, varying from mild redness and irritation to severe generalised blistering.

A severe allergic reaction produces a life threatening condition called anaphylactic shock. Here the allergy produces dramatic and rapidly progressive symptoms blisters and weals all over the skin, swelling around the eyes and lips, and as the tissues in the throat and airways swell up breathing becomes very difficult. The heart beat races and the blood pressure drops causing the sufferer to feel faint and possibly pass out. Asthmatics would notice their asthma rapidly worsening during such a reaction. Treatment must be immediate with the drug adrenaline being injected to save the patients life.

Peanuts, in particular, can produce anaphylactic shock in susceptible people, and they have to carry with them at all times a syringe preloaded with adrenaline. Peanut allergy can be diagnosed in childhood, when the child initially develops a severe skin reaction just by touching the nuts. Thereafter peanuts, foodstuffs containing them or peanut extract, must be avoided. People allergic to peanuts should also avoid almonds.

This can make life very difficult as all foodstuff labels must be scrutinised, and meticulous attention must be paid to meals eaten in restaurants. Anyone unsure about a particular food, should place a tiny amount on the lip, and if it contains the allergenic nut, it will cause a tingling sensation.

Further information from

The Anaphylaxis Campaign
IMPORTANT NOTICE : This content is from the Dr Chris Steele personal archive and is provided for convenience only. Information contained here may no longer agree with the most up to date medical advice. Please check with a medical professional before taking any action.

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