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$Pretitle{Ill Defined Symptoms and Rare Diseases}
$Title{What Effect Can Food Allergy Have on a Person?}
$Subject{food allergy reactions}
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Copyright (c) 1991   Tribune Media Services, Inc.


What Effect Can Food Allergy Have on a Person?


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QUESTION:  We need to know the effect food allergy can have on a person.  Can
you tell us how to tell if that is the problem and what to do about it?

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ANSWER:  The word "allergy" is overused by physicians and patients alike, and
the result is that many people incorrectly feel they suffer from a food
allergy.  Instead of a true allergy, they may only be experiencing a
physiological reaction to a food or a substance.  The response may indeed be
unpleasant, but it is not allergic in origin.  A true allergic reaction occurs
when a person's immune system reacts to a substance.  It's useful to know
whether the reaction is a true allergy, because proper treatment of a severe
aerological reaction is important.  It's also critical to treat problems that
can be incorrectly dismissed as an "allergy."
     Diagnosis of an allergy involves precise testing, as well as cooperation
between patient and physician so that the problem can be sorted out and
identified.  You consume thousands of possible allergens, (substances that can
create allergic reactions) and pinpointing the one that is causing your
problem isn't easy.  Unpleasant reactions to foods or other substances can
create a confusing picture of symptoms, often leading patient and physician
down the wrong track.  The "obvious" allergy is sometimes not the culprit at
all.  Keeping a diary that lists all foods eaten, and the types of symptoms
can be most useful in discovering the real problem.
     Reactions to prepared foods eaten at home or foods eaten in a restaurant
can be hard to pinpoint because of the variety of ingredients they contain.
Although food labeling has come a long way, specific spices are often not
listed.  Companies will often share a list of their ingredients, however, if
they are asked.
     Foods that are most often the culprits in true allergic reactions in
adults are peanuts, tree nuts, milk, eggs, shrimp, lobster, crab, crayfish,
whitefish, and sesame seeds.  Children most commonly have allergic reactions
to eggs, peanuts, milk, fish, soybeans and wheat.  Food "allergies" are a
convenient, but sometimes sloppily-used term to describe a large variety of
symptoms, and a rather convincing case can be made that they are the only
cause of many problems.  A thorough, careful investigation, however, may show
that there is no allergy, and that there is another important condition or
cause that should be treated.
ÿ
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The material contained here is "FOR INFORMATION ONLY" and should not replace 
the counsel and advice of your personal physician.  Promptly consulting your 
doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical 
problem.
