Food Allergy

On this page

Basics

• Summary
• Start Here
• Diagnosis and Tests
• Treatments and Therapies

Learn More

• Living With
• Related Issues
• Specifics

See, Play and Learn

• Videos and Tutorials

Research

• Statistics and Research
• Clinical Trials
• Journal Articles

Resources

• Find an Expert

For You

• Children
• Teenagers
• Patient Handouts

Summary

Food allergy is an abnormal response to a food triggered by your body's immune system.

In adults, the foods that most often trigger allergic reactions include fish, shellfish, peanuts, and tree nuts, such as walnuts. Problem foods for children can include eggs, milk, peanuts, tree nuts, soy, and wheat.

The allergic reaction may be mild. In rare cases it can cause a severe reaction called anaphylaxis. Symptoms of food allergy include:

• Itching or swelling in your mouth
• Vomiting, diarrhea, or abdominal cramps and pain
• Hives or eczema
• Tightening of the throat and trouble breathing
• Drop in blood pressure

Your health care provider may use a detailed history, elimination diet, and skin and blood tests to diagnose a food allergy.

When you have food allergies, you must be prepared to treat an accidental exposure. Wear a medical alert bracelet or necklace, and carry an auto-injector device containing epinephrine (adrenaline).

You can only prevent the symptoms of food allergy by avoiding the food. After you and your health care provider have identified the foods to which you are sensitive, you must remove them from your diet.

Start Here

• Food Allergies (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish
• Food Allergy (American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology)
• Food Allergy (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
• Food Allergy 101 -- Basics of Food Allergies (Food Allergy Research & Education)
• Food Allergy: Tips to Remember (American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology) Also in Spanish

Diagnosis and Tests

• Allergy Blood Test (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
• Food Allergy Testing (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
• Reasons to Do Food Challenges (National Jewish Health)

Treatments and Therapies

• Recognizing and Treating Reaction Symptoms (Food Allergy Research & Education)

Living With

• Avoiding Cross-Contact (Food Allergy Research & Education)
• Dining Out (Food Allergy Research & Education)
• Have Food Allergies? Read the Label (Food and Drug Administration) Also in Spanish
• Living with Food Allergies (Food Allergy Research & Education)
• Managing Food Allergies at College (Food Allergy Research & Education) - PDF
• Taking Care of Yourself (Food Allergy Research & Education)
• Tips for Keeping Safe at Home (Food Allergy Research & Education)
• Traveling with Food Allergies (Food Allergy Research & Education)

Related Issues

• Eosinophilic Esophagitis: MedlinePlus Health Topic (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
• Food Intolerance vs. Food Allergy: What's the Difference? (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish

Specifics

• Egg Allergy (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
• Fish Allergy (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
• Fish Allergy (Food Allergy Research & Education)
• Milk Allergy (Food Allergy Research & Education)
• Milk Allergy (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
• Peanut Allergy (Food Allergy Research & Education)
• Peanut Allergy (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
• Shellfish Allergy (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
• Shellfish Allergy (Food Allergy Research & Education)
• Soy Allergy (Food Allergy Research & Education)
• Tree Nut Allergy (Food Allergy Research & Education)
• Wheat Allergy (Food Allergy Research & Education)
• Wheat Allergy (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish

Videos and Tutorials

• Histamine: The Stuff Allergies are Made of (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish

Statistics and Research

• Facts and Statistics about Food Allergies (Food Allergy Research & Education)
• Food Allergy (National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases)
• Understanding Food Allergies: How to Prevent Peanut Allergy and More (National Institutes of Health) Also in Spanish

Clinical Trials

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Egg Hypersensitivity (National Institutes of Health)
• ClinicalTrials.gov: Food Hypersensitivity (National Institutes of Health)
• ClinicalTrials.gov: Milk Hypersensitivity (National Institutes of Health)
• ClinicalTrials.gov: Nut Hypersensitivity (National Institutes of Health)
• ClinicalTrials.gov: Peanut Hypersensitivity (National Institutes of Health)
• ClinicalTrials.gov: Wheat Hypersensitivity (National Institutes of Health)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

• Article: Dietary Strategies in Adult Patients with Eosinophilic Esophagitis: A State-of-the-Art Review.
• Article: Sensitization to nsLTP: A Retrospective Study in An Italian Pediatric Population...
• Article: Drug-Induced Enterocolitis Syndrome in Children.
• Food Allergy -- see more articles

Find an Expert

• Find an Allergist/Immunologist (American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology)
• National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

Children

• Allergies and Hyperactivity (and sugar) (American Academy of Pediatrics) Also in Spanish
• Asthma and Food Allergies (American Academy of Pediatrics) Also in Spanish
• Dairy-Free Diet (For Parents) (Nemours Foundation)
• Food Allergies (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
• Infant Allergies and Food Sensitivities (American Academy of Pediatrics) Also in Spanish
• Making Sure Kids Are Prepared if They Need Epinephrine Treatments in School (Food and Drug Administration) Also in Spanish
• Milk Allergy in Infants (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
• Nut and Peanut Allergy (Nemours Foundation)
• Tree Nut Allergy (Nemours Foundation)
• Tree Nut Allergy (For Parents) (Nemours Foundation)

Teenagers

• Egg Allergy (Nemours Foundation)
• Food Allergies (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
• Food Allergies at School (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
• Milk Allergy (Nemours Foundation)
• Nut and Peanut Allergy (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
• Tree Nut Allergy (Nemours Foundation)

Patient Handouts

• Allergy testing - skin (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Anaphylaxis (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Food allergy (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish