Food Allergies
To some, food allergies seem like fabricated cries for attention. To others, they pose a dangerous health threat - Matthew Smith
image by: Gustavo Gonzalez
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Why food allergies are on the rise
A food allergy can be a terrifying thing. When someone eats even a small amount of a food to which they are allergic, a minor reaction can involve itching, swelling, and stomach ache. But one in four people unlucky enough to have a food allergy, even a mild one, will at some point experience a severe reaction: anaphylaxis, a state of shock defined as a reaction involving two of the body's organs, is characterised by symptoms like wheezing, dizziness and vomiting. The pulse can slow, blood pressure can drop, and the airways can close. In an alarming number of people in the last few years, it has been fatal.
More of the population has food allergies than ever before – and around the…
Resources
Allergy Eats
Why does AllergyEats exist? AllergyEats set out to solve a simple problem – how can food-allergic and food-intolerant diners quickly and easily find restaurants that will properly accommodate their individual dietary needs?
What You Don’t Know About Food Allergies
Pollen-food reactions, adult onset symptoms and cross reactivity are just some of the surprising ways our bodies respond to food.
Millions of People Wrongly Believe They Have Food Allergies
This discrepancy suggests that quite a few adults are conflating allergies with less-severe food intolerances, which typically come with minimal digestion-related symptoms, the researchers write. If someone is truly allergic to a food, eating it can trigger a potentially life-threatening immune response. (People who are lactose intolerant, for example, may experience bloating, stomach pain and gas after eating dairy products, while those with a true milk allergy can experience wheezing, hives and anaphylaxis.)
All you need to know about food allergies and how to find out if you have them
Not sure what is the best way to deal with food allergy or sensitivity symptoms? We asked a doctor.
Discovering your child has a food allergy can be a shock. But with the right support you can find a way forward
Food allergies among children are on the rise. I’m grateful for the medical care and empathy shown by friends, family and community.
From the archives: When food allergies were ‘strange pranks’ for scientists to decipher
A November 1936 Popular Science article presented the available data on food allergies, albeit limited.
It’s harder for kids with food allergies to catch COVID
The link between these allergies and COVID immunity is largely mysterious.
The New Rules of Food Allergy Prevention, Testing and Diagnosis
Food allergies can be scary. Here how to reduce your baby’s risk, understand allergy tests and respond to a reaction if it happens.
Think you have a food allergy? You’re probably fooling yourself
What the researchers found is telling. More people think they are living with food allergies when they actually aren’t. According to the study, 10% of Americans suffer from a diagnosed allergy, while 20% think they have one.
Are Most People Mistaken About Food Allergies?
If you've ever been to a summer barbecue or a soccer game with a suburban parent, you know: food allergies are the cause of real, pervasive concern.
Doctors Surprised by Scope of Adult-Onset Food Allergies
New research shows nearly 11% of U.S. adults have food allergies, more than many expected, with shellfish most common among adult-onset ones.
Food allergies: what you need to know about the role your skin plays
Food allergies are on the increase worldwide, ranging from minor inconvenience to possible sudden death, and leading to warnings of an “allergy epidemic”. The most severe form of allergic reaction – anaphylaxis – can occur repeatedly or without warning. The reasons for the rise in allergies are complex, but the skin is now recognised to play an important role as a gatekeeper for the body’s immune system.
Have a Food Allergy? It’s Time to Recheck
According to a definitive report compiled for the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases by a 25-member panel of experts, a big part of the problem is misdiagnosis, from overreliance on two tests a skin-prick test and a blood test for antibodies that can produce misleading results. The only test that can definitively establish a food allergy is a so-called oral challenge, in which the patient ingests the suspect food and waits for a reaction. This can be safely done only by an experienced health professional with emergency treatment at hand in case of a severe reaction.
How Do You Find Good Food When You've Got Bad Allergies?
On the most difficult challenge a food-allergic individual faces: The lack of understanding among the general public is one of the toughest things a person with allergies faces, says Miller.
How Food Allergies Can Destroy Your Life
After a couple bad experiences with trace amounts of peanuts, I was sent into a spiral of anxiety and fear that took me months to recover from.
How psychologists can help people coping with life threatening food allergies
Food allergies have a big impact on people’s quality of life. The stress and worry of having a potentially life-threatening reaction can result in the need for some families to seek help from a psychologist.
I Masked my Eating Disorder by Pretending to Have Food Allergies
After a decade of unhealthy takeouts and terrible lifestyle, I tried breaking the weight gain cycle by giving up on most foods altogether. I started looking great, but then I crashed.
I Used to Hate People with Food Allergies. Then I Became One
The road from gluttonous food writer to cautious, Paleo patient meant swallowing my pride and judgement toward picky eaters.
Is Your Kid Truly Allergic? Tests Add to Food Confusion
For parents of children with food allergies, this may be both welcome and unsettling news: Many kids whose allergies were diagnosed on the basis of blood or skin tests alone may not be truly allergic to those foods, experts say.
Restaurants Can Be Hell for People with Food Allergies
Everyone should be able to order without getting shade from a server or spending a night in the ER.
Sesame Allergy More Common Than Once Thought, Study Finds
More than one million children and adults are allergic to sesame in the United States, scientists report. But sesame is not among the allergens that must be listed on food labels.
Study: Kids Often Misdiagnosed With Food Allergies
Many children with allergies and eczema are often misdiagnosed as having food allergies, according to a study presented at the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology conference in Washington, D.C. Researchers at National Jewish Health in Denver conducted "food challenge" tests on 125 children with allergies and eczema and found that more than 50 percent of the kids could tolerate foods they had been told to avoid.
A New Treatment Can Relieve Food Allergies, But Few Doctors Offer It
Block joins a small but growing number of providers around the U.S. who have begun offering the therapy without enrolling patients in trials. Just four board-certified allergists offered oral immunotherapy for food allergies in 2010, but the number surpassed 100 by 2017, according to the website OIT 101, which is run by parents who've had success with oral immunotherapy and maintains a directory of providers.
Are Food Allergies On The Rise? Experts Say They Don't Know
Food allergies are often self-diagnosed and symptoms can be misinterpreted. Sometimes people can't distinguish a food allergy from other conditions such as lactose intolerance or gluten sensitivity, which don't fit the medical definition of an allergy.
Are There Nuts in That Brownie?
New wearable devices aim to detect allergens in food and in the air. But should you trust them?
Assessing the value of new food allergy treatments must include quality of life
People with food allergies and their families can experience lifelong issues associated with anxiety over potential allergic reactions and perceived societal stigma. For parents, having to make decisions about a child’s safety every single day, at every meal, and in every new environment can be taxing and burdensome. These obstacles are significant, under-recognized, and undertreated.
Can I prevent food allergies in my kids?
With the rise in food allergies over the last ten to 20 years, parents are understandably concerned about what – if anything – can be done to reduce the chances of their child developing a food allergy. Expectant mums often ask whether there’s anything they should eat, or avoid eating, to reduce the risk of food allergy in their child. In the past, some guidelines recommended mums avoid eating “allergenic” foods (foods that commonly cause reactions in individuals with food allergy) during pregnancy and breastfeeding. This advice has now been removed because it hasn’t prevented food allergies in the child.
Dining Out With Food Allergies
Every time I go out for a meal, I'm aware that a restaurant may refuse to serve me. A server may not really know what goes into a dish he's assured me is safe.
Doubt Is Cast on Many Reports of Food Allergies
Many who think they have food allergies actually do not. A new report, commissioned by the federal government, finds the field is rife with poorly done studies, misdiagnoses and tests that can give misleading results.
Feeling a Little Icky? You Might Have a Food Allergy—Here's How to Know for Sure
Like any health issue, food allergies can feel stressful, scary, and generally un-fun. But according to Dr. Scott Sicherer, Professor of Pediatrics and a researcher at the Jaffe Food Allergy Institute at Mount Sinai Hospital, a good part of this misery is due to misinformation.
Food allergies could soon become a thing of the past – here's why
Allergic reactions to foods are a growing, potentially life-threatening problem. The good news is we can turn this around...
Food allergies may be on the rise because babies start solids too late
Giving babies potentially allergenic foods early on may reduce the risk of allergies – but many parents don't as that conflicts with advice to breastfeed until six months.
Food Allergies: A Lot of Confusion, Few Answers
Food allergies are a minefield of confusion, with no clear consensus on their prevalence or the best way to diagnose or manage them, a study says.
Food allergy and intolerance: five common myths explained
Food allergies seem to be on the rise, but misconceptions abound, often getting in the way of a condition being properly diagnosed and treated. According to recent research, up to 35% of people misdiagnose themselves (or their children) with a food intolerance or allergy then try to manage it themselves rather than seek proper medical advice. So it’s time to set the record straight on five of the most popular misconceptions that persist.
Food allergy, intolerance, or sensitivity: What’s the difference, and why does it matter?
Chances are that you or someone you know has experienced unpleasant symptoms after a meal or snack. Maybe you experienced some degree of sneezing, wheezing, rashes, brain fog, joint pain, nausea, bloating, diarrhea, or another symptom. This may have led you to believe you have a food allergy — and maybe you do. But it’s also possible that you have a food intolerance, celiac disease, or a food sensitivity. This is important, because some of the reactions can range from just annoying to life-threatening.
Half of the people who think they have food allergies actually don’t
But that doesn’t mean you’re imagining things.
Is It Really Possible to Cure Your Own Food Allergies?
Emmaeatscarrotss, a TikTok user, is attempting ad-hoc immunotherapy for an audience of thousands. But will her journey work? We asked allergists.
More people are experiencing severe food allergies than ever before
As I explain in Another Person’s Poison: A History of Food Allergy, strange reactions to food have long been known. The Ancient Greek physician Hippocrates (c.460-370BC) described such reactions to various foods, including cheese. Strawberries caused Richard III to break out into hives.
Only 1/4 of Americans Who Say They Have Food Allergies Have Any Medical Proof
Overall, the research reinforces previous findings that people are increasingly avoiding foods without a legit scientific basis.
Oral immunotherapy can be a game changer for many with food allergies
The purpose of oral immunotherapy is not so someone can go to a baseball game and inhale a bag full of peanuts. Instead, it provides insurance — a buffer zone — so that in the event of accidental ingestion, the risk that a life-threatening reaction will occur is significantly decreased.
These Dangerous Food Labels Need To Be Cleaned Up, New Study Says
It's hard for grocery store shoppers to identify which foods are safe for allergy sufferers, the research claims.
This Test Can Determine Whether You've Outgrown A Food Allergy
Now, a new study sheds light on the effectiveness of a test called a food challenge to determine whether a person can tolerate a food they once reacted to.
We Asked People What It's Like to Live With Deadly Food Allergies
And don't get them started on the price of an EpiPen.
Which Allergens Are in Your Food? You Can’t Always Tell From the Labels
Despite federal legislation passed 15 years ago, food labels don’t always alert consumers to allergens that may be present in packaged goods.
Why Do Some People Suddenly Develop Food Allergies Later in Life?
It can be confusing and daunting to suddenly not be able to eat a food you've eaten your whole life.
Why European Restaurants Are Much More Vigilant About Food Allergies
It's unusual — but not unique — for a London restaurant to turn away diners who have food allergies. But almost every type of restaurant there asks patrons about allergies. Restaurants in the United Kingdom are generally far more vigilant, in this regard, than restaurants in the United States.
Why the world is becoming more allergic to food
The rise in allergies in recent decades has been particularly noticeable in the West. Food allergy now affects about 7% of children in the UK and 9% of those in Australia, for example. Across Europe, 2% of adults have food allergies. Life-threatening reactions can be prompted even by traces of the trigger foods, meaning patients and families live with fear and anxiety. The dietary restrictions which follow can become a burden to social and family lives. While we can't say for sure why allergy rates are increasing, researchers around the world are working hard to find ways to combat this phenomenon.
Why food allergies are on the rise
Food allergies can be extremely risky, even fatal – and they’re on the rise around the world. Why are they increasingly common, and what can we do to prevent them?
Five Tips to Make Traveling With a Food Allergy Easier
Managing a food allergy is tricky when you travel, but these precautionary steps can help you explore culinary culture and stay healthy.
Allergy Amulet
The world’s smallest & fastest consumer food allergen sensor.
FARE
Whether you're newly diagnosed or you've been managing food allergies for years, FARE is here to support you. Find resources for children, teens and adults and get connected to others in your community.
Ready, Set, Food!
The only early food allergen system that introduces the Top 9 Allergens to babies in a staged, safe, and no-mess way. Easily mix in with bottle or food. And start as early as 4 months of age, just like the USDA recommends.
OIT 101
OIT stands for “Oral immunotherapy” or oral desensitization for food allergies. OIT is a medical treatment guided by a board-certified allergist with a payoff of lifetime freedom from food fear and stress. The immune system is re-trained to tolerate food proteins/allergens through regular eating of small amounts of food.
Allergy & Asthma Network
A person with a food allergy has an immune system that overreacts to proteins found in certain foods. It is identified as a dangerous invader and the body creates a specific IgE (Immunoglobulin E) antibody to fight it. This triggers a protective response that can include skin, respiratory, heart and/or digestive symptoms.
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