Pediatric Physicians, PC

Food Allergies

By Rhona Tiongson, MD
As printed in Around Town Publishing, April 2006

I am hearing more and more about food allergies. What are food allergies and what are the foods that trigger reactions?

Food allergies are being recognized in increasing numbers in our country. It is estimated that 11 million Americans are affected by an allergy to food. Food allergies occur more commonly during childhood and many may "outgrow" their food allergies but some persist into adulthood and can become quite serious. A food allergy occurs when a child's immune system recognizes a food as harmful. When exposed to that food the next time it triggers a reaction to try to protect itself. The reaction can affect different systems in the body including skin (rash, hives, swelling of mouth or tongue), respiratory (wheezing, cough, difficulty breathing), gastrointestinal (vomiting, stomachache, diarrhea) or cardiovascular (light headedness, low blood pressure, shock, loss of consciousness). These symptoms can be immediate or delayed even up to a several hours later. The most serious reaction is called anaphylaxis. Anaphylaxis is a severe, sudden, overwhelming reaction that can be life threatening. Symptoms of anaphylaxis may include a tingling feeling of tongue or mouth, a feeling of swelling of mouth or throat, asthma symptoms, shortness of breath, vomiting, light headedness, lethargy then progressing to a drop in blood pressure or loss of consciousness. Early recognition of these symptoms and treatment with a medication called epinephrine can stop the reaction. It is recommended that people who have an established diagnosis of food allergy carry a self-injectable dose of epinephrine which can be prescribed by your pediatrician.

If an allergy is suspected, discuss it with your pediatrician before eliminating any food from a child's diet. There are reliable tests that can establish a true food allergy. The eight most common food allergy triggers are egg, fish, milk, peanut, tree nuts (walnut, pecans, etc), shellfish, soy and wheat. Since January 2006, food manufactures are required to state in plain language whether their product may contain any of the top eight food allergens. If a food allergy has been diagnosed by a physician, strict avoidance of that food is required.

Once a food allergy is confirmed you should strictly avoid the trigger, but beware of signs of anaphylaxis in case of an accidental exposure. To learn more about food allergies and anaphylaxis, visit our website www.PediatricPhysiciansPC.com, where there is a link to the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network.

Dr. Rhona Tiongson practices general pediatrics with Pediatric Physicians, PC of Roswell and Windward.

If you have a pediatric question of general interest, please submit it to advice@PediatricPhysiciansPC.com. One of the board certified pediatricians from Pediatric Physicians, PC will answer a selected question in this column each month.

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