If you read a lot of labels on food today you might see statements like “produced in a manufacturing facility that handles peanuts.”  Food allergies are the reason you see statements like these on labels today.

A food allergy is an immune system response to something that has been eaten.  About 2% of all adults and 6% of children have some sort of a food allergy.  Some foods that are culprits for food allergies include peanuts, eggs, fish and shellfish, milk, wheat, and soy.  Some children will outgrow their food allergies as their digestive systems mature, but allergies to nuts or shellfish tend to be lifelong allergies.

Some of the sings and symptoms you might see in your child if he is having an allergic reaction to a food include:

• A tingling sensation in the mouth
• Swelling of the tongue and/or throat
• Wheezing or difficulty breathing
• Hives, itching or eczema
• Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or abdominal cramps
• Dizziness, drop in blood pressure, loss of consciousness

A severe allergic reaction is called anaphylaxis and requires immediate treatment in the emergency room; however, if your child is having any symptoms you want to contact your doctor or hospital immediately for evaluation and treatment.

There are a few ways a doctor might determine if your child has a food allergy.  The first is an elimination diet, where the suspected foods are removed from your child’s diet for several weeks and reintroduced one at a time.  Your doctor can also do a skin prick test, where some of the food substance is placed on your arm or back and your skin is pricked with a needle to allow it to get under your skin.  If a bump appears there is a food allergy.  A blood test can be done to measure the immune system’s response to certain foods.  The test for the specific food allergy is done in a lab.

Avoidance of the food that causes the allergic reaction is the only treatment.  Your child’s doctor might have to give an injection of epinephrine (adrenaline) if there is a severe reaction to a food.  Your doctor might also prescribe an EpiPen for your child to bring with them at all times if there is a severe reaction to a specific food allergy by your child.

How can you prevent exposure to those substances that cause your food allergy?  Read all the labels on the food you purchase carefully.  If you are eating out, ask how the food has been prepared and what the ingredients are in the recipe.  Consider having your child wear a medical alert bracelet or necklace to identify the food allergy.  An emergency EpiPen might be necessary to keep with your child at all times.  Make sure to inform your child’s school, day care, or any place where she spends time of the food allergy and give them a plan of action should your child have an allergic reaction with specific information on what should be done to help your child.