Food Allergies

Excerpt

Food allergy is defined as an immune reaction to proteins in the food and can be immunoglobulin (Ig)E-mediated or non–IgE-mediated. IgE-mediated food allergy is a worldwide health problem that affects millions of persons and numerous aspects of a person’s life. Allergic reactions secondary to food ingestion are responsible for a variety of symptoms involving the skin, gastrointestinal tract, and respiratory tract. Prevalence rates are uncertain, but the incidence appears to have increased over the past three decades, primarily in countries with a Western lifestyle.

Any food can cause allergy but overall only a few foods account for the vast majority of allergies. This includes milk, eggs, peanuts, shellfish, wheat, and nuts. In the last few years, many cases of near-fatal reactions following food ingestion have been reported. It should be noted that reactions that do not involve the immune system are not food allergies (eg milk intolerance).