Diagnosing a food allergy can be a challenge for most doctors. First the doctor must determine if the patient is having an adverse reaction to specific foods. The doctor makes this assessment with the help of a detailed history from the patient, the patient's dietary diary, or an elimination diet. The doctor then confirms the diagnosis by the more objective skin tests, blood tests, or food challenges. The dietary history is the most important diagnostic tool. The physician interviews the patient to determine if the facts are consistent with a food allergy. If the patient's history, dietary diary, or elimination diet suggests that a specific food allergy is likely, the doctor will then use tests, such as skin tests, blood tests, and a food challenge, which can more objectively confirm an allergic response to food.

Some people have an allergic reaction to a food that is triggered by exercise. As the body is stimulated by exercise, a person with an exercise induced food allergy may feel itchy and lightheaded. In more severe cases, reactions such as hives or anaphylaxis may occur. Not eating for a few hours prior to exercising may help prevent this problem. Some fresh fruits and vegetables may also trigger a mild allergic reaction that causes the mouth to tingle or itch. This is called cross-reactivity in which the proteins in fruits and vegetables cause the reaction because they are similar to allergy causing proteins found in certain pollens. Most cooked fruits and vegetables generally do not cause cross-reactive oral allergy symptoms.

Food allergy reactions can vary from person to person. Some reactions can be very mild and only involve one part of the body. Other reactions may be more severe and involve more than one part of the body. Reactions can occur within a few minutes or up to a few hours after contact with the food. A serious allergic reaction with widespread effects on the body is known as anaphylaxis. This sudden and potentially life threatening allergic reaction involves two or more body areas. In addition, there may also be swelling of the airway, serious difficulty with breathing, a drop in blood pressure, loss of consciousness, and in some cases, even death. The primary caregiver will look for any other condition that could cause the symptoms. If the doctor suspects a food allergy, the patient will likely be referred to an allergy specialist, who will ask in depth questions, perform a physical exam, and perform tests to help make a diagnosis.

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Common food allergies that kids have are peanuts and tree nuts like walnuts, seafood such as shrimp, milk, especially cow's milk, eggs, soy, and also wheat.

Kids should be aware of what a food allergy reaction looks and feels like. They should also tell their friends, teachers and relatives what they are allergic to and what a reaction looks like so that they can be aware. Tell them what to do if they should suspect that you are having an allergic reaction. Common allergic reactions can be a tightness in the throat, swelling throat or tongue, a hoarse sounding voice, wheezing, coughing, nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, diarrhea, feeling faint, breathing difficulty, indigestion, and also bluish skin around the lips or nails.

A person can also have an anaphylaxis reaction, which is a serious allergic reaction. When this occurs the individual may have breathing difficulties, have a sudden drop in blood pressure that results in feeling faint or passing out. This kind of anaphylaxis reaction to a food allergy can result in death. Immediate medical attention should be given to anyone having an allergic reaction, especially a serious one. Anyone who is subject to this kind of serious allergic reaction should carry around an emergency kit that contains epipen or other epinephrine medication. Someone with a peanut allergy may carry around an inhaler because they may have breathing difficulties if they accidentally eat peanuts.

Many kids will outgrow their food allergies especially if they are allergic to milk, or eggs. Severe allergies like those to peanuts are rarely outgrown. Other food allergies like those to fish, and shrimp are also usually lifetime allergies.

How do you know if the symptom your kid is having is caused by a food allergy? You don't, you need to have your child evaluated by an allergist. You will need to fill out a medical history form that will include questions about the symptoms you have observed in your child including what food you suspect, how much of the food your child ate before the symptoms started and how long after the food was eaten before the symptom started. Food allergies can be hereditary so it is also important to let the doctor know if anyone else in the family has food allergies.

The doctor will need to distinguish between food intolerances and food allergies. To do this, the doctor will probably do some allergy testing including skin prick tests, or a food journal and also a food double blind challenges.

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Approximately 90% of all food allergies are to one of the following food items:

Milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts (cashews, walnuts), fish, shellfish, soy or wheat.

To prevent your body from reacting in a manner that makes you sick you need to eliminate from your diet all foods that contain the food substance that you are allergic to. This may not be easy, as some foods have hidden food items in them that the consumer is not expecting to find there. Reading labels is the best way to determine if what causes the food allergic reaction is contained in the food item. A doctor or food dietitian can help you to understand how to eliminate the food(s) that you or your family member is allergic from the diet.

You may need to take a nutritional supplement so that you body will still receive all the nutrients it needs to be healthy. This is why it is important to speak with your doctor or a dietician before eliminating any foods from your diet. Your doctor will likely give you a list of foods to avoid when making the food allergy diagnosis.

If the food allergy is to milk than you need to follow a milk allergy diet. You will need to remove all milk and other dairy products from your diet. Since dairy products are a good source of both calcium and Vitamin D, it is important to include in your diet other sources of food rich in these nutrients such as broccoli, spinach and soy products.

Many processed or prepared foods contain milk, so you need to carefully read all labels before purchasing or preparing foods. Food manufacturers often change ingredients so check the label each time you purchase the item.

Items to avoid if you are on a milk allergy diet are:

Milk and milk solids, non-fat milk, skim milk, or powdered milk, and also milk solids. You should also avoid buttermilk, evaporated milk, yogurt, cream, cream cheese, sour cream, butter, butter fat, artificial butter flavored products, curds, whey and whey products, and also cottage cheese.

Foods that you should avoid because they contain milk/milk products are Au gratin foods, chocolate and cream candies, coffee creamers, creamed or scalloped foods, custard, nougat, ice cream, malted milk, margarines, puddings, and also white sauces.

When reading labels and you or a family member is on a milk allergy diet pay particular attention of the following words on the label:

lactalbumin, lactalbumin phosphate, lactoglobulin, casein or sodium caseinate, lactose (which is milk sugar).

You can substitute soy, rice or almond milk in place of cow's milk in recipes. There are many non-dairy products that are available such as margarines, non-dairy ice cream, non-dairy chocolate, non-dairy cheese and non-dairy yogurt that you can purchase to replace the ones you cannot have.

Egg Allergy Diet:

If you or a family member is allergic to eggs than an egg allergy diet is the answer.

Infants and young children often are allergic to eggs. A egg-free diet eliminates all eggs, egg products and items that contain eggs or egg related ingredients such as eggs, egg whites, egg yolks, dried eggs or egg powder, egg solids.

They also need to know and avoid foods that contain eggs such as eggnog, Bavarian creams, breaded foods, cake, cookies, candy, creamed foods, cream pies, cream puffs, custard, doughnuts, egg rolls, egg noodles, frosting, hollandaise sauce, ice cream, mayonnaise, marshmallows, meat or fish cooked in batter, meringue, muffins, pretzels, pudding, Souffls, tartar sauce, and also waffles.

When shopping and reading labels avoid any product where these words appear on the label if you are on an egg allergy diet:

Globulin, Albumin, Apovitellenin, livetin, ovalbumin, ovomucin, ovomuciod, ovovitellin, phosvitin.

Egg substitutes are not always safe as some contain egg whites.

Peanut Allergy Diet:

One of the most common food allergies is the peanut allergy. The allergic reactions to peanuts can be some of the most serious kinds of allergic reactions even life-threatening so it is vitally important to avoid all foods that may contain peanuts.

Common peanut foods are peanuts, peanut butter, cold-pressed or expressed peanut oil and peanut flour.

Some foods that contain peanuts are:

Ground nuts, mixed nuts, artificial nuts, nougat, and ethnic dishes from the following cultures: Chinese, African, and also Thai. Also be careful to avoid cookies, pastries and other baked goods, candy, egg rolls, and marzipan.

When shopping and reading labels for foods containing peanuts are sure to watch for the following words and avoid those products:

Hydrolyzed plant protein and hydrolyzed vegetable protein.

Many of the prepared foods we eat such as baked goods, candy and ethnic foods can be contaminated with peanuts if the products are prepared in the same place or by the same manufacturer of peanut containing foods.

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There are many things people with nut allergies can do to stay safe. The most important thing is to always read food product labels before purchasing or eating. Not all labels are 100% accurate, but if you read them you can at least do all you can in that regard. Don't assume that just because the product was safe the last time you purchased it, you need to check the label each time you but it, as food manufacturers do change ingredients.

It is wise to avoid all peanut and tree nut products including almonds, almond extract, arachide, arachis oil, artificial nuts, beer nuts, baking mixes, brazil nuts, cacahueta, cacahuete, cashews, chestnuts, cookies, deep-fried foods, earth nuts, food additive 322 – lechithins – may be peanut, frangipane, goobers, goober nuts, goober peas, ground nuts, ground nut oil, hazelnuts, hickory nuts, hydrolyzed plant/vegetable protein, ice cream, frozen treats, imitation nuts, macadamia, mandelonas, margarine, marzipan, mixed nuts, monkey nuts, new nuts, nougat, nut butters/spreads, peanut, peanut butter, peanut flour, peanut oil, pecans, pesto, pine nuts, pistachios, praline, nut oil, nut paste, nut pieces, nu-nuts, nutmeat, satay sauce, sauces (various), vegetable oil, and also walnuts.

To be totally safe if any family member has a peanut/nut allergy the home should be totally nut free or any food item that contains any of the above ingredients should be kept in a place designated for them. If the person with the allergy is young, it is wise to have a nut free home because food does it accidentally left out.

Make sure that you totally rid of home of any nut products. Start in one room and work your way through the entire house. There are obvious nut products in the kitchen so that is a good place to start. Get rid of all the obvious nut products first such as that jar of peanut butter, or that jar of cashews you were saving for Monday's game. Don't forget nut spreads.

Any foods that are not in the original labeling is not safe and needs to be thrown out. You must be able to read a label on everything in order to check for the presence of peanuts/nuts because not all food items are obvious that they contain them.

Tips for shopping:

Read every label, every time you buy a product. Ingredients do change.

Ask bakery staff if the product you are thinking of buying has nuts, tell them about the allergy so they will be sure to be certain of their answer.

Usually large bakeries will label their baked goods.

Avoid imported foods that have foreign labels or if you are not able to be certain of the ingredients. If unsure of what is contained in a food product, do not buy the food item!

Stay away from prepared or frozen desserts or candies unless you have received verification from the manufacturer that the product does not contain nuts.

Keep a pad and pen/pencil with you as you shop so you can write down product names and the manufacturer's hotline number so that you can call and ask questions about the product before buying it.

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Diagnosing a food allergy can be a challenge for most doctors. First the doctor must determine if the patient is having an adverse reaction to specific foods. The doctor makes this assessment with the help of a detailed history from the patient, the patient's dietary diary, or an elimination diet. The doctor then confirms the diagnosis by the more objective skin tests, blood tests, or food challenges. The dietary history is the most important diagnostic tool. The physician interviews the patient to determine if the facts are consistent with a food allergy. If the patient's history, dietary diary, or elimination diet suggests that a specific food allergy is likely, the doctor will then use tests, such as skin tests, blood tests, and a food challenge, which can more objectively confirm an allergic response to food.

There is no known cure for food allergies. Avoidance of the food that causes the allergy is the only way a person will be able to prevent a reaction. The improved food label will help make it easier for food allergic people and their caregivers to identify and avoid foods that contain major food allergens. Food allergies are on the rise in children and the new and improved food labeling information is especially helpful to children who must learn to recognize the presence of substances they need to avoid. Children need to learn to read the food labels to determine whether or not the product contains an allergy causing food.

Manufacturers must identify the presence of a major food allergen in one of two ways. These ways include listing the ingredients in which manufacturers must state the source of an allergenic ingredient in parentheses after the name of the ingredient. Manufacturers must also add the word 'contains' followed by the name of the source of each allergenic ingredient in the food. Once a patient and their doctor have identified the food to which the patient is sensitive, the food must be removed completely from their diet. The patient must read lengthy and detailed ingredient lists on each food they are considering eating. Many allergy producing foods such as peanuts, eggs, and milk, appear in foods in which one would not normally associate them with. People can avoid most of the things to which they are sensitive if they read food labels carefully and avoid restaurant prepared foods that might contain ingredients that they are allergic to.

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A food allergy is the result of the body's immune system overreacting to food proteins. Not all adverse reactions to food are due to allergy. Some reactions to milk may be related to a deficiency of an enzyme that normally breaks down a sugar in milk. When individuals with lactase deficiency drink cow's milk or eat other dairy products, they may experience intestinal symptoms, typically misinterpreted as a food allergy. Almost any food can cause an allergic reaction and some individuals are only allergic to one food, while others may be allergic to several types of food. Cow's milk is the leading cause of allergic reactions in very young children. Milk allergy affects about 2 percent to 3 percent of infants worldwide, and its signs and symptoms can be serious enough to cause distress for both the allergic child, but also for the child's family. Most children do outgrow a milk allergy by age 2 or 3.

Currently, the only way to treat food allergies is to avoid the foods which trigger reactions. Even the most diligent label readers are likely to be inadvertently exposed to proteins that elicit an allergic response at some point. Anaphylactic allergic reactions can be fatal even when they begin with mild symptoms such as a tingling in the mouth and throat or gastrointestinal discomfort. Antihistamines and bronchodilators can be used to treat less severe symptoms. Food manufacturers and consumer groups are working with the Federal Drug Administration to increase public awareness of the seriousness of food allergen reactions and to ensure that allergens are appropriately labeled in food products.

Food allergies are typically treated by avoiding the offending allergen in the diet. Once a food to which the patient is sensitive has been identified, the food must be removed from the diet. To do this, patients need to read a lengthy and detailed list of ingredients on the label for each food they consider eating. Many allergy producing foods such as eggs, peanuts, and milk appear in foods that are not ordinarily associated with them. Patients with severe food allergies must be prepared to treat an anaphylactic reaction. These individuals should carry a syringe of adrenaline, or epinephrine, obtained by prescription from their doctors and be prepared to self administer it if they think they are developing an allergic reaction. They should then seek immediate medical help by either calling 911 or having themselves transported to an emergency room.

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It is important to recognize that celiac disease, gluten intolerance, and wheat allergy are all food allergies. There are several classifications of food intolerances including food allergy, autoimmune-mediated, congenital digestive disorders, and metabolic diseases. Food allergies affect 5 percent of the population. Celiac disease affects people differently. Symptoms may occur in the digestive system or in other parts of the body. Irritability is one of the most common symptoms of celiac disease in children. Celiac disease is a genetic disease, meaning it runs in families. Sometimes the disease is triggered, or becomes active for the first time, after surgery, pregnancy, childbirth, viral infection, or severe emotional stress.

Personality changes may occur in children with celiac disease. This may cause the inability to concentrate, become irritable and have difficulties with mental alertness and memory functions. Celiac patients may experience selected symptoms which include mood changes, irritability, and depression. The parents of a child with celiac disease may need to reduce expectancies in leaning and carrying out selected aspects of basic discipline for their child.

Symptoms of celiac disease can occur at any time in a child's life. Some children experience symptoms the first time they are exposed to gluten, while others develop symptoms later in life after consuming gluten products without a problem for year. A first sign that an infant might have celiac disease can occur shortly after the introduction to solid foods such as cereals. An infant who has begun consuming foods that contain gluten might have diarrhea and stomach pains. They will stop gaining weight at a healthy pace. Skin rashes might also appear and the child might develop anemia and mouth sores.

Diagnosing celiac disease usually begins with a simple blood test that measures the levels of antibodies to gluten and other proteins in the lining of the intestine. If high levels of these antibodies are found, the doctor will likely order a biopsy of the small intestine and have it tested by a laboratory. If celiac disease is diagnosed, the doctor will offer guidance on which foods the child can eat and which to avoid. Because these changes greatly affect the every day life and diet, the doctor may suggest meeting with a nutritionist for additional advice. Wheat, rye, barley and related grains should be eliminated from the child's diet. There are several gluten related ingredients that should be avoided at all costs.

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Peanut allergy affects approximately 1 million people in the United States alone. As the most common cause of life threatening allergic reactions, peanut allergies account for 80 percent of fatal or near fatal allergic reactions each year. The risk of having an allergic reaction may be reduced by knowing as much as possible about peanut allergy and how to avoid peanut containing products. Tests may be administered to help diagnose peanut allergy so it is vital to take steps to avoid future and potentially worse reactions. Common food products that can trigger peanut allergy symptoms include peanut butter, peanut flour, and ground or mixed nuts, along with several others.

Avoidance is the only true treatment for food allergy. Neither allergy shots nor oral desensitization have proven to be a safe or effective way in reducing food allergy. An individual may be allergic to any food, such as vegetables, fruits, and meats there are eight particular foods which account for the majority of all food allergic reactions. These particular foods are milk, peanut, fish, egg, tree nut, shellfish, soy, and wheat. Allergic reactions to certain foods typically begin within minutes to a few hours after eating the food.

Food allergies are typically treated by avoiding the offending allergen in the diet. Once a food to which the patient is sensitive has been identified, the food must be removed from the diet. To do this, patients need to read a lengthy and detailed list of ingredients on the label for each food they consider eating. Many allergy producing foods such as eggs, peanuts, and milk appear in foods that are not ordinarily associated with them. Patients with severe food allergies must be prepared to treat an anaphylactic reaction. These individuals should carry a syringe of adrenaline, or epinephrine, obtained by prescription from their doctors and be prepared to self administer it if they think they are developing an allergic reaction. They should then seek immediate medical help by either calling 911 or having themselves transported to an emergency room.

Diagnosing a food allergy can be a challenge for most doctors. First the doctor must determine if the patient is having an adverse reaction to specific foods. The doctor makes this assessment with the help of a detailed history from the patient, the patient's dietary diary, or an elimination diet. The doctor then confirms the diagnosis by the more objective skin tests, blood tests, or food challenges. The dietary history is the most important diagnostic tool. The physician interviews the patient to determine if the facts are consistent with a food allergy. If the patient's history, dietary diary, or elimination diet suggests that a specific food allergy is likely, the doctor will then use tests, such as skin tests, blood tests, and a food challenge, which can more objectively confirm an allergic response to food.

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Many different foods can cause food allergies but there are eight that are the most common food allergens. The eight most common food allergens are milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts such as cashews and walnuts, soy, wheat, fish and shellfish.

Adults and children, even infants can have food allergic reactions. Food allergies can run in families. This is why if parents, sisters or brothers are known to have food allergies Pediatricians consider a new baby to be a high risk for food allergies and will be extra careful with introducing new foods to this baby. Children can sometimes outgrow food allergies when they are older, but not always. Adults who are still showing allergic reactions to foods usually remain for the rest of their life.

Exercise can sometimes be associated with food allergies.

Some food allergy symptoms center on the gastrointestinal tract and cause symptoms of the stomach and intestines only such as gas, nausea, diarrhea, vomiting and abdominal pain.

Skin reactions can be food allergy symptoms such as rashes or hives or eczema.

Other symptoms have to do with the nose and mouth including breathing such as stuffy nose, runny nose, itchy mouth, itchy throat, shortness of breath, coughing and closed airway.

Severe reactions to food include the breathing ones of wheezing, fainting, and closed airway. Anaphylaxis is life threatening allergic reaction to a food and can also include facial flushing, itching, hives, difficulty talking or breathing, low blood pressure or unconsciousness. In anaphylaxis the symptoms usually appear quickly after ingesting the food, sometimes with mere minutes. Immediate medical attention is needed to save the individual's life. An injection of epinephrine is given to help open up the airway and to help reverse the anaphylaxis reaction.

An allergist makes a diagnosis of food allergy, which is a specialist who has had special training understanding and diagnosing allergies including food allergies. A diagnosis is made after careful medical history is taken from the patient or the patient's parent or caregiver. Sometimes the allergist will ask the patient to keep a food diary so that the allergist can gather essential information about your reaction to food from it. The allergist may order several tests including a skin prick test, a RAST test, which is a blood test, and food, challenges.

After the diagnosis is made the allergist will design an allergy management plan to help you control the symptoms of your food allergy. The most important part of the treatment plan will be learning how to avoid the food that you are allergic to.

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For some people, a food allergy could be mild, producing minor burning or itching sensations on the tongue and in the mouth or it could be more severe causing throat swelling and impaired breathing. What is interesting is that people react in different ways to food in which they are allergic. Some symptoms are apparent within minutes while others may take a few hours.

Here are some reactions you might expect with food allergies:

* Runny nose and itchy eyes
* Rash on the skin or hives
* Nausea or vomiting
* Diarrhea and abdominal pain
* Throat and tongue swelling which could cause loss of voice or even wheezing

The most severe food allergic reaction would be anaphylaxis otherwise known as anaphylactic shock. This reaction can come on suddenly and could be a combination of symptoms. Typically several things will happen at the same time: a drop in blood pressure, respiratory passageways swelling up to constrict breathing, heart palpitations and more. For people with severe food allergies where one bite may be fatal, they must carry epinephrine to counteract the symptoms to buy time until a hospital can be reached.

For some people, it is quite easy to pinpoint a food allergy because a reaction is instantaneous. However, for others, it can cause quite a stir trying to nail down the culprit, particularly in foods with multiple ingredients. In this case, a food diary can be quite helpful in narrowing down the food items that are suspect.

Some doctors do believe that food allergies are hereditary, meaning if you have a parent that had hay fever and other seasonal allergies, this would make you more susceptible to food nuances. And because some food allergies are developed over time, to a certain extent, the environment and changing food manufacturing processes could also be probable causes as well.

Of course, it is important to know the difference between food intolerance and a food allergy. Millions more people have food intolerances like a problem digesting wheat or dairy but their immune systems do not kick in and try to combat what they perceive as a threat. Food intolerance is the result of your body not being able to process certain foods because it lacks an enzyme or chemical. With a food allergy, your body can process the food but it also perceives it as a foreign body and will release the antibodies to attack it, thus triggering an immune response.

As long as you know the difference between food intolerance and food allergies, you should be able to choose the best course of action to alleviate the problem. As mentioned above, keeping a food diary is a smart move and will help narrow the field of your problem.

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