What are the common symptoms that accompany a food allergy reaction?
The primary gastrointestinal symptoms can be itching of the mouth, diarrhea, nausea or abdominal pain. Often, food allergy reactions are accompanied by skin symptoms such as hives, swelling of the lips or throat, or itching of the skin. Once in a while, respiratory symptoms like shortness of breath or nasal congestion can be observed. With the most severe reactions you get anaphylactic shock, which is accompanied by a drop of blood pressure and lightheadedness. What is the best treatment? The best treatment is to prevent the reactions through strict food avoidance measures. That requires a great deal of education and vigilance by the patients. In the event that an ingestion of a food allergen occurs, then treatment is focused on the use of epinephrine or injectable adrenaline. How should people proceed if they suspect they have a food allergy? The most important thing is to see an allergist or health care provider who has experience in dealing with food allergies. The history is very i
