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Food Allergies - Symptoms
SYMPTOMS & TREATMENTS
- Topic Overview
-
Health Tools
- Cause
- Symptoms
- What Happens
- What Increases Your Risk
- When To Call a Doctor
- Exams and Tests
- Treatment Overview
- Prevention
- Home Treatment
- Medications
- Other Places To Get Help
- Related Information
- References
- Credits
Symptoms of food allergy can affect many parts of your body, including your:
- Digestive system. Symptoms include stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, itching in the mouth and throat, and rectal bleeding (rare in adults). These symptoms occur more often in children than in adults.
- Skin. Symptoms include
hives
or welts, swelling, itching, redness, and
atopic dermatitis. Skin reactions are common in
children. - Respiratory system. Symptoms include coughing; wheezing; an itchy, stuffy, runny nose; sneezing; and trouble breathing.
Children usually have the same symptoms as adults. Symptoms of milk or soy allergies in children may include eczema, a runny nose, and wheezing. But sometimes the only symptoms are extreme crying (colic), vomiting, blood in the stool, diarrhea, constipation, or poor growth.
Symptoms vary from mild to life-threatening and can appear from within minutes to days of eating a food. The most severe reaction is anaphylaxis, which affects many body systems and can be deadly.
Anaphylaxis can start within a few minutes to a few hours after you eat the food. And the symptoms can go away and come back hours later. Common triggers for anaphylaxis are peanuts, nuts, and seafood. In children, peanuts cause anaphylaxis more often than other foods.2, 3 Aspirin, exercise, or alcohol can increase the risk for anaphylaxis.2
Symptoms may be more severe if you also have another type of allergy, such as an allergy to pollens or mold. Tobacco smoke, stress, and colds can also make symptoms worse.
There are many other conditions with similar symptoms, such as food poisoning and inflammatory bowel disease.
| By: | Healthwise Staff | Last Revised: March 23, 2011 |
| Medical Review: | Sarah Marshall, MD - Family Medicine Rohit K Katial, MD - Allergy and Immunology | |
© 1995-2011 Healthwise, Incorporated. Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated. This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise, Incorporated disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use. How this information was developed to help you make better health decisions.
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