Food Allergy & Food Intolerance

There is a lot of confusion around the difference between food allergies and food intolerances.

It is important that you determine if you are having a food intolerance versus a food allergy, if eating a specific food causes you to suffer from some symptoms. Many people mistake and confuse the two together. Finding out the difference between the two helps you decide on the best treatment option for your ailment.

Food intolerances or sensitivities are a problem for a lot of people. Unlike allergies, you can grow into and out of food intolerances. Food intolerance symptoms are not caused by the immune system as are allergic reactions. They are usually milder and are the body's reaction to foods that you cannot break down and digest properly. These effects are sometimes felt as headaches, general irritation, loss of sleep, and an upset stomach. Food intolerance is a very annoying experience for you.

A person with a food intolerance is unable to digest and process that food correctly, usually due to a lack of a certain enzyme or enzymes. It usually occurs when too much of a particular food is eaten, or too often. Common offenders are wheat and dairy, as well as eggs, oranges and sugar. If you avoid these foods for a few months, you may find that you will be able to tolerate them again in small quantities.

Food intolerance symptoms rarely occur right after eating the food but usually take hours or even days to become apparent. This makes the offending food sometimes very difficult to determine. Unlike allergies, which seem to stay with you for life, food intolerances are quickly cured by removing the particular food that caused the problem from you diet.

When you have a food allergy, your immune system response is triggered. Having said that, only 2 percent of adults and 6 percent of children have a true food allergy that can be dangerous to their health. Common food allergens include peanuts, shellfish, soy and wheat. You do not need to consume a whole plateful of your food allergen for it to be fatal. Just a small amount can endanger your life.

With this, having a food allergy is considered more severe than having a food intolerance alone. Some of the most common symptoms of a food allergy include hives, eczema, wheezing, swelling of the throat, abdominal pain, and headaches. However, if your allergic reactions are severe, you can also suffer from shock, airway constriction, loss of consciousness and rapid pulse. This can mean death if you are not given the required treatment in a timely manner.

On the other hand, if you get a tummy ache or diarrhea due to eating certain foods, you may be having a food intolerance. You still can eat these foods and yet suffer no symptoms if they are eaten in small amounts. This is another distinguishing factor from a true food allergy.

For a food allergy, it is obvious that you would have to avoid eating that specific food. Severe food allergy symptoms necessitate medical treatment. To keep you from going into anaphylectic shock, a shot of epinephrine may be needed as soon as possible. You may also need to be warded in a hospital for emergency treatment and observation.

To know for sure if you are having a true food allergy, you can go for medical testings. It will also help if you can maintain a food diary so that you can record down your observations. When visiting your doctor, bring the food diary along with you. It can help your doctor determine whether you are just having a food intolerance or a food allergy.

Testing for food allergy consists of blood tests for the IgE antibodies (RAST) or the presence of a hive like reactions produced from histamine released at the site of skin prick, injection or patch contact with the food. The many food reactions that are not due to an allergic immune response involving IgE or histamine will have normal RAST IgE antibody levels and negative skin testing. Some of these food sensitivity or intolerance reactions are due to other antibodies such as IgA, IgM, or IgG. These antibodies may be detected in the blood, stool or saliva though such tests are not as well validated, accepted or available, especially in the U.S.