The ancient Roman poet and philosopher Lucretius observed, “What is food to one is to another bitter poison.” In those times, a violent food allergy was a mysterious and alarming condition. Imagine a healthy guest at a Roman banquet suddenly choking and gasping, then collapsing and dying. It’s easy to understand why many innocent survivors were suspected of poisoning the poor victims.

What Exactly is a Food Allergy?

Today, we have the benefit of recognizing food allergies. A food allergy is a reaction to a food that involves the immune system. Our immune system evolved to protect us from foreign invaders. When a bacteria that shouldn’t be in our body enters, the immune system destroys it by letting the inflammatory system do the dirty work.

Sometimes the immune system reacts against harmless things. In the case of autoimmune diseases such as lupus, the immune system reacts against its own body tissues, causing damage from the resulting inflammation. In the case of pollen allergies, affected people react to harmless pollens, again causing inflammation in the nose (rhinitis, hay fever) and in the lung (asthma). In the case of food allergy, the immune system reacts to normally harmless food proteins. Therefore, the term food allergy does not include conditions like lactose intolerance or heartburn from spicy foods.

Severe Food Allergies

I am only going to cover the most severe form of food allergy, that which causes anaphylaxis. Anaphylaxis is a reaction to something that results in a combination of symptoms including flushing, itching or hives, sneezing or runny nose, lip and/or throat swelling, difficulty swallowing, wheezing, low blood pressure, and in some cases, vomiting, abdominal cramping or diarrhea.

Anaphylaxis can be caused by foods, insect stings, medications and latex, as well as less common things. I have to emphasize that just because someone has hives or swelling of a lip does not mean it is anaphylaxis. If you have had these symptoms, you should discuss them with your doctor to better understand your reactions and how to protect yourself.

Anaphylactic Reaction

Typically an anaphylactic reaction goes something like this:

* A small amount of the offending (but normally, harmless) substance is eaten. Very soon after (seconds to minutes), the mouth itches and there is some sneezing and a little runny nose.

* A generalized itching sensation covers the body and hives appear over the next several minutes.

* There is some abdominal cramping and the person notices difficulty swallowing saliva.

* Some wheezing follows, the person feels a little light-headed (low blood pressure) and the heart races.

* The person might pass out.

This all occurs over several minutes to maybe an hour. The more allergic a person is to a substance, the quicker the reaction might be.

Common Food Allergies

This is the list of the most common foods that cause anaphylaxis in this country:

* Egg

* Fish

* Milk

* Peanut

* Crustacean shellfish

* Soy

* Tree nuts

* Wheat

* Sesame, which I have added to this list, as it is becoming a more common cause, probably a reflection of changing dietary patterns in the United States.

If you think you or a loved one might suffer from food allergies, call 866.804.1007 to find a doctor who can help.