Food allergies can cause many different symptoms. From abdominal pain and diarrhea to itching, wheezing or nasal congestions.
Food allergies occur when you body identifies a food or food ingredient as a potential danger. This triggers your body into a protective immune response causing the symptoms.
If you encounter something you’re allergic to, your immune system considers the substance dangerous and releases a chemical called histamine to counteract it. Histamine can cause a variety of symptoms, including rash, headache, sneezing, runny nose and swelling — and in the case of food allergies, nausea, and diarrhea.
Think of it this way, if the allergen is something you breathe in, your reaction will probably affect your eyes, nose and lungs. If you eat the allergen, you’re more likely to have symptoms in your mouth, stomach and intestines.
The most severe reaction, known as anaphylaxis, can be life-threatening and requires immediate treatment with an epinephrine auto injector followed by emergency treatment.
Triggers
If you have food allergies that can lead to symptoms such as nausea and vomiting, it’s important to know which foods trigger your symptoms.
The eight most common food allergens are:
- Eggs
- Milk
- Peanuts
- Tree nuts
- Fish
- Shellfish
- Wheat
- Soy
How to Get Tested
If you think you might have a food allergy that could lead to nausea or diarrhea, you should be tested by an allergist. Getting tested by a board-certified allergist is the first step to helping you deal with your allergy and avoid your triggers. An allergist will take a detailed medical history and review your symptoms to determine whether your symptoms are triggered by an allergy to food, medications, insect stings or something else.
Allergy tests are both convenient and accurate. When combined with a detailed medical history, allergy testing can identify the specific things that trigger your allergic reactions. Testing also helps your allergist determine whether you have a food intolerance or a food allergy, which both can cause stomach upset.
Many people may think they have a food allergy when what they really are experiencing is food intolerance. Food intolerance can often mimic a food allergy, causing nausea and vomiting, but is not life-threatening. The best way to determine whether you are experiencing a food allergy is to see an allergist for testing. An allergist will help you develop an action plan to deal with whatever allergies or intolerances you may have.
Give us a call today and we can schedule an initial visit and help you find your allergy triggers.
