Food allergen

Food Allergen

A food allergen is a type of protein found in foods that can trigger a harmful immune response in certain individuals, leading to food allergies. Food allergies occur when the body's immune system mistakenly identifies a harmless food protein as a threat and launches an attack against it. This can result in symptoms ranging from mild to severe, including anaphylaxis, a potentially life-threatening condition.

Causes and Common Food Allergens

The exact cause of why some individuals develop allergies to certain foods while others do not is complex and involves a combination of genetic and environmental factors. However, most food allergies are triggered by specific proteins in:

• Milk
• Eggs
• Peanuts
• Tree nuts (such as almonds, walnuts, and cashews)
• Fish
• Shellfish
• Wheat
• Soy

These eight categories account for the majority of food allergy reactions.

Symptoms

Symptoms of a food allergy can vary widely from person to person and can include:

• Hives or a red, itchy skin rash
• Swelling of the lips, face, tongue, and throat, or other parts of the body
• Wheezing, nasal congestion, or trouble breathing
• Abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea, or vomiting
• Dizziness, lightheadedness, or fainting

In severe cases, a food allergy can trigger anaphylaxis, a medical emergency that requires immediate treatment with an epinephrine (adrenaline) injector (EpiPen), followed by a trip to the emergency room.

Diagnosis

Diagnosing food allergies typically involves a combination of a medical history review, dietary review, physical examination, and tests. These tests may include:

• Skin prick tests
• Blood tests (such as the ImmunoCAP test)
• Oral food challenges

Management

There is currently no cure for food allergies. Management of food allergies typically involves:

• Avoiding the allergenic food
• Reading food labels carefully
• Educating others about the allergy
• Carrying and knowing how to use an epinephrine auto-injector

Prevention

The prevention of food allergies, especially in children, is an area of ongoing research. Current strategies focus on early exposure to potentially allergenic foods as a way to potentially prevent the development of food allergies.

See Also

• Anaphylaxis
• EpiPen
• Immunotherapy