An inappropriate or exaggerated reaction of the immune system to a food. Sensitivity to cow’s milk protein is a fairly common food allergy in young children. Other foods most commonly implicated in food allergy are nuts, wheat, fish, shellfish, and eggs. Food allergy is more common in people who suffer from other forms of allergy or hypersensitivity, such as asthma, allergic rhinitis, and eczema. Immediate reactions, occurring within an hour or sometimes minutes of eating the trigger food, include lip swelling, tingling in the mouth or throat, vomiting, abdominal distension, abnormally loud bowel sounds, and diarrhoea. Some serious allergies can cause anaphylactic shock, requiring immediate self-injection with adrenaline (epinephrine). The only effective treatment for food allergy is avoidance of the offending food. (See also food intolerance.)
Food allergy |
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