5 Things You Should Know About Food Allergies
- Food allergies and food intolerance are not the same. Food allergies typically come on suddenly and can be life-threatening. Reactions can occur at the ingestion of small amounts of food and can occur every time you eat the food. Food intolerances, though, usually progress gradually and are not life-threatening. Typically, a lot of the untolerated food has to be ingested to cause some sort of a reaction.
- Food allergies are on the rise. Food allergies in children have increased 50% since the late 1990s.
- All food allergies are not created equally. While some food allergies can be outgrown, allergies to peanuts and tree nuts rarely go away. Most peanut and tree nut allergies are diagnosed during childhood.
- Don’t ignore reactions to food. Do you get hives or an itchy mouth when eating certain foods? Get allergy tested. African-Americans are more likely to have a deadly reaction to food.
- Know what you’re eating. Someone goes to the ER every three minutes due to a food allergy. Always read labels before purchasing food products and ask questions when dining out.
