Food Allergies
What are food allergies?
A food allergy is a specific, chronic condition that occurs when the body's immune system mistakenly identifies an ordinarily harmless food protein as a dangerous invader. When you ingest that food, your immune system overreacts by producing targeted IgE antibodies, triggering an immediate allergic cascade.
Even trace or microscopic amounts of a trigger food can cause symptoms that range from uncomfortable local swelling to severe, life-threatening anaphylaxis. While food allergy symptoms can sometimes mimic digestive discomfort, it is critical to distinguish a true allergy from a food intolerance.
What is the difference between a food allergy and a food intolerance?
• Food Allergy (Immune System): An immediate, potentially life-threatening immune response where the body mistakenly produces IgE antibodies to fight a specific food protein. It can cause systemic symptoms like hives, airway swelling, or anaphylaxis, and can be triggered by even trace amounts.
• Food Intolerance (Digestive System): A localized gastrointestinal reaction that does not involve the immune system. It typically occurs when the body lacks a specific enzyme to digest a food (such as lactose intolerance), causing uncomfortable digestive symptoms like bloating, gas, or cramping, but is never life-threatening.
What are the common food allergy symptoms?
Food allergy reactions can affect different parts of the body, and symptoms may vary from person to person, or even from one reaction to the next. Some reactions are mild, while others can become severe or life-threatening.
Food allergy symptoms typically manifest within minutes up to two hours after consuming the trigger food. These reactions can affect multiple systems across the body:
• Oral & Mouth: Tingling, itching, or acute swelling of the lips, tongue, roof of the mouth, or throat.
• Skin & Dermal: Widespread hives (urticaria), intense itching, skin flushing, or localized swelling (angioedema).
• Respiratory: Difficulty breathing, coughing, wheezing, or a feeling of chest tightness.
• Gastrointestinal: Nausea, severe abdominal cramps, vomiting, or diarrhea.
• Cardiovascular: Dizziness, sudden drop in blood pressure, fainting, or loss of consciousness.
Recognizing a severe allergic reaction (Anaphylaxis)
A food allergy reaction can rapidly escalate into anaphylaxis, a severe, systemic emergency that can be fatal if left untreated. Anaphylaxis should be suspected if symptoms involve more than one body system simultaneously (such as widespread hives combined with vomiting, or throat tightness combined with dizziness).
If you or your child show signs of a severe systemic reaction, immediately administer emergency epinephrine (such as an EpiPen®, Auvi-Q®, or Neffy® nasal spray) and seek immediate emergency medical care.
Every 3 minutes, a food allergy reaction sends someone to the emergency room.
Food allergies are a serious and potentially life-threatening medical condition affecting more than 33 million Americans. Approximately 1 in 13 children lives with a food allergy, roughly two children in every classroom. In the United States, a food allergy reaction sends someone to the emergency room about every three minutes.
What are the most common food allergies?
More than 170 foods have been identified as potential food allergy triggers, but a small group of foods accounts for most allergic reactions. Common food allergies we diagnose and treat include:
• Milk
• Soy
• Wheat
• Eggs
• Peanuts
• Tree nuts, including almonds, walnuts, pecans, and cashews
• Fish
• Shellfish
• Alpha-gal syndrome {A unique, delayed allergic reaction to galactose-alpha-1,3-galactose (a sugar molecule found in red meat) triggered by the bite of a Lone Star tick. Because the Lone Star tick is highly prevalent throughout East Tennessee and North Georgia, our board-certified allergists specialize in diagnosing and managing Alpha-gal syndrome via advanced blood mapping panels.}
How are food allergies diagnosed?
Diagnosing a food allergy involves reviewing several important factors, including your symptoms, medical history, family history, and a physical examination. Your allergist will also discuss when reactions occur, the foods involved, and the severity of your symptoms.
Depending on your history and symptoms, additional testing may include:
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Physical Examination
A thorough physical exam can help identify or rule out other medical conditions that may be causing or contributing to your symptoms.
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Skin Test
A skin prick test helps determine whether your immune system may be reacting to a specific food. During the test, a small amount of the suspected allergen is placed on the skin, usually on the forearm or back, and the area is gently pricked to observe for a reaction.
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Blood Test
A blood test can help measure your immune system’s response to specific foods by detecting allergen-specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibodies in the bloodstream.
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Elimination Diet
Your allergist may recommend temporarily removing suspected foods from your diet for one to two weeks and then gradually reintroducing them one at a time to help identify possible food triggers.
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Oral Food Challenge
Considered the gold standard for definitively confirming or ruling out a food allergy. Conducted strictly inside our local Chattanooga Allergy Clinic facilities, patients ingest small, gradually increasing doses of the suspected food allergen under the direct, continuous supervision of a board-certified allergist and clinical staff equipped with immediate medical intervention tools.
How are food allergies treated?
- Allergen avoidance: Avoiding the foods that trigger allergic reactions is one of the most important parts of food allergy management. Your allergist can help you identify allergy triggers and develop strategies to safely avoid them at home, school, work, restaurants, and social events.
- Medications: Depending on your symptoms and type of allergy, medications may help reduce reactions and relieve symptoms. Your doctor may recommend over-the-counter or prescription medications such as antihistamines, nasal sprays, inhalers, or other treatments.
- Emergency epinephrine: Patients with severe food allergies may need to carry epinephrine at all times. Epinephrine is the first-line treatment for anaphylaxis and can help quickly reverse severe allergic reactions while emergency medical care is being obtained. Common epinephrine devices include:
- EpiPen®
- Auvi-Q®
- Neffy® nasal epinephrine
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