Food Allergies

TYPES OF REACTIONS TO FOOD

Not all reactions to foods are due to allergic reactions.

Food allergies can result in:
1. Food anaphylaxis (rare) where hives, throat swelling, asthma, severe indigestion, low blood pressure occur from food allergies moments after ingestion (< 2% of patients)

2. Much more common are “cross reactive food allergies” also called “oral allergy syndrome”. Here small amounts of allergenic food (often fruits and vegetables) may be well tolerated, but large amounts cause tongue itching or tingling, indigestion, bloating or diarrhea. Up to 90% of allergic patients may have some of these indigestion reactions with certain fruits and vegetables (melons, corn, wheat, soy, celery, garlic, avocado are typical triggers).

3. Adverse reactions due to chemicals occurring in the food (e.g., coffee, alcoholic beverages, Nutrasweet, sugar (hyperglycemia)).

4. Adverse reactions due to bacterial contaminants in the food (e.g., food poisoning, Ecoli from undercooked meat, travelers’ diarrhea in Mexico).

5. Adverse reactions to certain food preservatives due to a special sensitivity, usually of unknown cause, found in a small number of people (e.g., “Chinese restaurant syndrome”/MSG intolerance).

6. Inability to digest the food properly due to a defect in the patient’s digestive system (e.g., lactase deficiency/lactose intolerance, (try Lact-Aid), bean indigestion, (try Bean-o).

If you would like additional detailed information on food allergies, contact us and make an appointment at our clinic.