Overview

People with food allergies have an allergic reaction when they eat certain foods.  It is estimated that 12 million Americans have food allergies and this number may be increasing.  Food allergic reactions can be severe and even fatal.

What are Food Allergies?

When some people eat certain foods, even very small amounts, they can have an allergic reaction.  A food that causes an allergic reaction is called a food allergen.  Food allergens are usually proteins that are recognized by a person’s immune system as being foreign.  When the person eats this food allergen, the immune system overreacts and causes the symptoms of food allergy.

What Causes Food Allergies?

In children, the six foods listed below cause almost all food allergy reactions.  Children usually outgrow an allergy to eggs, milk, and soy.

• Milk
• Eggs
  
• Peanuts
  
• Tree nuts (like pecans)
  
• Wheat
  
• Soy
  

In adults, four foods cause almost all food allergy reactions:

• Peanuts
  
• Tree nuts
  
• Fish
  
• Shellfish
  

What are the Symptoms of Anaphylaxis?

Symptoms of food allergy can vary from simply mild itching to severe reactions termed anaphylaxis).  Signs of food allergies include:

• Rash or itching
  
• Swelling (such as lips and eye)
  
• Vomiting, stomach ache or diarrhea
  
• Difficulty breathing, wheezing
  
• Hoarseness, throat tightness, or lump in throat
  

How do I know if I have Food Allergies and what can be done?

If you think you are allergic to a food, you should make an appointment so we can perform allergy skin testing to see if you are allergic.  The best treatment for food allergies is to avoid the food you are allergic too.  This is often harder than it sounds due to the reality that many foods are “hidden” as ingredients in many other foods.

FROM THE TEXAS ALLERGY, ASTHMA AND IMMUNOLOGY SOCIETY

Useful Web Sites

• Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network
  

Handouts given in our office

Food allergy review

Prevention and Control of Allergies in Infants and Children

Peanut allergy educational handout

Soy allergy educational handout

Chart of cross reacting foods

Foods commonly treated with Sulfites

Foods Available for Testing - If a food you need tested is not here we can order it.

Almond                      

Apple                                   

Apricot                       

Avocado                    

Banana                        

Barley                             

Basil                             

Bean, Green              

Bean, Lima                

Beef                                      

Blueberry                  

Brazil Nut                  

Broccoli                             

Buckwheat                   

Cabbage                      

Cantaloupe                

Carrot                                  

Cashew Nut              

Catfish                             

Celery                          

Cherry                         

Chicken                              

Chocolate                          

Cinnamon                  

Clam                                

Codfish                               

Coffee                          

Cola                                      

Corn                             

Coriander                  

Crab                                 

Egg, White                     

Egg, Whole                    

Egg, Yolk                        

Filbert, Hazelnut    

Flax Seed                        

Flounder                        

Garlic                           

Gelatin                        

Ginger                         

Grape, White            

Grapefruit                 

Green chili                         

Hops                                

Kidney/Pinto Bean

Lamb                                          

Lemon                        

Lettuce                       

Lime                            

Lobster                               

Milk                                  

Mixed Fish                         

MSG                              

Mushroom                

Mustard                      

Nutmeg                      

Oat                                        

Olive, Green              

Onion                                  

Orange                        

Oregano                     

Oyster                             

Paprika                       

Pea                                       

Peach                          

Peanut                        

Pear                                     

Pecan                          

Pepper, Black          

Pepper, Green          

Perch                               

Pineapple                  

Pork                                 

Potato, White          

Raspberry, Red               

Rice                              

Rye                                       

Salmon                           

Scallops                              

Sesame                       

Shellfish                     

Shrimp                                

Soybean                     

Spinach                       

Squash, Yellow            

Strawberry                       

Tomato                      

Trout, Lake               

Tuna, Lake                

Turkey                            

Vanilla                         

Walnut                                      

Watermelon                     

Wheat                             

Yeast