A food allergy occurs when the body’s immune system sees a certain food as harmful and reacts by causing symptoms. This is an allergic reaction. Foods that cause allergic reactions are called allergens.
Allergic reactions can involve the skin, mouth, eyes, lungs, heart, gut and brain. Mild and severe symptoms can lead to a serious allergic reaction called anaphylaxis (anna-fih-LACK-sis). This reaction usually involves more than one part of the body and can worsen quickly. Anaphylaxis must be treated right away to provide the best chance for improvement and prevent serious, potentially life-threatening complications.
Allergies to peanuts, tree nuts, fish and shellfish tend to persist lifelong. Allergies to milk, egg, wheat and soy often disappear with age, but not always.8
Anaphylaxis is a life-threatening allergic reaction.7
Medical Review September 2017. Updated June 2019.
1. Gupta, R. S., Warren, C. M., Smith, B. M., Jiang, J., Blumenstock, J. A., Davis, M. M., … Nadeau, K. C. (2019). Prevalence and Severity of Food Allergies Among US Adults. JAMA Network Open, 2(1), e185630. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2018.5630
2. CDC.gov. (2018). Allergies | Gateway to Health Communication | CDC. [online] Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/healthcommunication/toolstemplates/entertainmented/tips/allergies.html [Accessed 14 Feb. 2018].
3. CDC.gov. (2018). Food Allergies | Healthy Schools | CDC. [online] Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/healthyschools/foodallergies/index.htm [Accessed 14 Feb. 2018].
4. Gupta RS, Warren CM, Smith BM, et al. The Public Health Impact of Parent-Reported Childhood Food Allergies in the United States. Pediatrics. 2018:142(6):e20181235. (2019). Pediatrics, 143(3), e20183835. doi:10.1542/peds.2018-3835
5. CDC.gov. (2018). FastStats. [online] Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/allergies.htm [Accessed 28 June 2019].
6. CDC.gov. (2018). Products - Data Briefs - Number 121 - May 2013. [online] Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db121.htm [Accessed 14 Feb. 2018].
7. FDA.gov. (2018). Food Allergies: What You Need to Know. [online] Available at: https://www.fda.gov/Food/IngredientsPackagingLabeling/FoodAllergens/ucm079311.htm [Accessed 14 Feb. 2018].
8. Anon, (2018). [online] Available at: https://www.aaaai.org/conditions-and-treatments/library/at-a-glance/food-allergy [Accessed 14 Feb. 2018].
9. ACAAI Public Website. (2018). Anaphylaxis. [online] Available at: http://acaai.org/allergies/anaphylaxis [Accessed 14 Feb. 2018].