Managing your allergies through diet, medication, and other medical therapies.
By Victoria Groce, About.com Guide to Food Allergies
Food allergies are among the few chronic conditions where patients are primarily responsible for managing their conditions, through a combination of diet to avoid allergens and medication to combat reactions when they occur. Emerging therapies like allergen immunotherapy are also beginning to play a wider role in controlling severe allergies, but avoidance is still of primary importance to most people with allergies. You'll also find information here about common food intolerances, which are managed like allergies by avoiding problem foods.
- Food Allergy Treatments
- Reading Labels and Allergy Food Safety
- Dairy Allergies (Milk Allergies)
- Egg Allergies
- Peanut and Tree Nut Allergies
- Soy Allergies
- Wheat Allergies
- Seafood Allergies (Fish and Shellfish)
- Other Food Allergies
- Food Intolerances and Sensitivities
Food Allergy Treatments
Medical treatments for food allergies, from fast-acting treatments for severe reactions like anaphylaxis to therapies aimed at controlling allergies.
Reading Labels and Allergy Food Safety
No matter how many or which kind of allergies you have, reading labels and practicing good food safety skills are critical to preventing reactions. Here are simple steps that can help you stay safe.
- How to Read Labels for Allergens
- Sources of Hidden Allergens
- How to Sign Up for FDA and CFIA Allergy Recall Alerts
- How to Avoid Allergy Cross-Contamination
Dairy Allergies (Milk Allergies)
Dairy allergies are the most common allergy in young children, although many outgrow them by the time they reach age five. While milk is often touted as essential for good nutrition, be assured that people with dairy allergies can easily replace the nutrients in that glass of milk with other common foods.
- Dairy Allergy Overview
- How to Balance Your Diet Without Dairy Products
- Milk Alternatives and Dairy-Free Beverages
- Dairy-Free Recipes
Egg Allergies
Egg allergies are especially common in children, and are closely associated with eczema. Here are tips for baking with egg allergies, figuring out which vaccines are safe, and recognizing eggs in packaged foods.
Peanut and Tree Nut Allergies
While peanuts are not, strictly speaking, nuts, these two allergies have a good deal in common. Many people with peanut allergies are advised to avoid tree nuts (and vice versa) because there is a fairly high risk of cross-reactivity between the two --- that is, people with one of these allergies are at increased risk of the other.
- Peanut Allergy Overview
- Tree Nut Allergy Overview
- Eight Alternatives to Peanut Butter
- Why Is My Child's School Nut-Free?
- Eating Pumpkin, Sesame, and Sunflower Seeds with Tree Nut Allergies
- Peanut-Free Recipes
- Tree Nut-Free Recipes
Soy Allergies
While most people don't immediately think of soy as a staple food, soy is in a tremendous number of prepared foods. It's also a staple food in its own right for many vegetarian families, and in East Asian cuisine.
Wheat Allergies
Wheat allergies are a major cause of severe allergy symptoms, including asthma and anaphylaxis, although they get less press these days than celiac disease, an autoimmune disorder which prevents the body from digesting certain proteins found in wheat and several other grains.
- Wheat Allergy Overview
- Using Wheat-Free Flours
- Play Doughs and Wheat Allergies
- Communion and Wheat Allergies
- Wheat-Free Recipes
Seafood Allergies (Fish and Shellfish)
The most common allergy among adults and the most common cause of anaphylaxis in the United States are one and the same: shellfish. Fish and shellfish are both frequent triggers of allergic reactions. While they're somewhat easier to avoid in packaged food than some other common allergens, both of these allergies can be quite severe.
Other Food Allergies
While the "big eight" food allergies are the most common, virtually any food can cause an allergy. Find out how to live with and manage a variety of other food allergies.
Food Intolerances and Sensitivities
Not all adverse reactions to food are allergies; the term "allergy" refers to a specific reaction of the immune system. Some very common non-allergic reactions to food are the result of the lack of enzymes in the digestive tract, like lactose intolerance; others, like celiac disease, are autoimmune (meaning that the body, in essence, attacks itself in response to the presence of a certain food). Others are of diverse or unknown origin.
