Food Allergies and Intolerance Remedies

Some food allergies cause immediate symptoms whereas in others it takes much longer for symptoms to develop.

The most common type of allergic reaction to food is known as an IgE-mediated food allergy.

In this type of allergy the symptoms develop very quickly after eating the allergy-causing food (the allergen); typically within a few minutes or in some cases, seconds.

According to the NHS symptoms may include:

• A raised red itchy skin rash (urticaria), which can affect just one part or all of the body
• Swelling of the face, around the eyes, lips, tongue or the roof of the mouth
• Feeling of narrowing in throat
• Change in voice (croaky or hoarse) due to swelling in voice box
• Feeling dizzy and lightheaded
• Feeling sick
• Being sick
• Abdominal pain and spasms
• Diarrhoea
• Cold-like symptoms, such as sneezing, runny nose and nasal congestion
• Redness and irritation of the eyes (allergic conjunctivitis)
• Coughing
• Chest tightness
• Wheezing or shortness of breath

In some cases a severe food allergy (anaphylaxis) can be triggered after eating a certain food and then going on to exercise vigorously. This is known as food-dependent exercise-induced anaphylaxis.

A less common type of allergic reaction is known as an non IgE-mediated food allergy. In this type of allergy the symptoms take much longer to develop after eating the allergen; usually several hours or in some cases days.

Some symptoms match what you would expect to see in an allergic reaction, such as:

Redness and itchiness of the skin (although not necessarily raised) the skin becomes itchy, red, dry and cracked (atopic eczema)

Other symptoms can be much less obvious and easily mistaken as being caused by something other than an allergy.

They include:

• Heartburn and indigestion that is caused by leaking stomach acid
• Stools becoming much more frequent or loose
• Blood and mucus in the stools (you must seek the advise of you GP if this happens)

In babies: excessive and inconsolable crying even though the baby is well-fed and doesn't need a nappy change (colic)

• Constipation
• Redness around the anus, rectum and genitals
• Unusually pale skin
• Failure to grow at the expected rate

Some children can have a mixed reaction where they experience both "IgE" symptoms, such as swelling, and "non-IgE" symptoms such as constipation. This often happens to children who have a milk allergy. Certain laboratory testing will be carried out with your permission to establish exactly what is causing your problems.

The advice given by Jayne Hopper is complimentary to any advice given by a qualified medical practitioner. If you are worried or suffering from any medical conditions, please pursue this with your GP.