Food allergy is defined as an adverse reaction or abnormal response to a food protein or food additive and is triggered by the body's immune system (IgE mediated). Anaphylactic reactions to food can sometimes cause serious illness and even death. Tree nuts and peanuts are the leading causes of these deadly allergic reactions (anaphylaxis). In recent decades, the prevalence of food allergy appears to have increased, and even a tiny amount of the allergy-causing food can trigger signs and symptoms such as digestive problems, hives, or swollen face and airways (angioedema). In people with celiac disease (not a true food allergy), the gluten in certain foods can initiate a complex immune response and cause severe symptoms.
Food intolerance is also a reaction to food, but it is not mediated by the body's immune system and, therefore, it is not an allergy. The symptoms of food intolerance are less bothersome. People often confuse the two, because food intolerance also shows some of the same signs and symptoms as food allergy, such as nausea, vomiting, cramping, and diarrhea.
Food allergy affects an estimated 4% to 8% of children under age 3 years and about 2% of adults. While there is no cure, some children outgrow their food allergy as they get older. Food allergy symptoms usually develop within a few minutes to an hour after eating the offending food. While 3.3 million Americans are allergic to peanuts or tree nuts, 6.9 million are allergic to seafood. Food allergies cause 30,000 cases of anaphylaxis, 2,000 hospitalizations, and 150 deaths annually.
Treatment consists of either immunotherapy (desensitization) or avoidance, in which the allergic person avoids all forms of contact with the food to which he or she is allergic.
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