The Allergy and Asthma Clinic
Andrew C. Engler, M.D.
Medical Director
(650)343-4597
290 Baldwin Avenue
San Mateo, California 94401

Food Allergy

If eating a food gives you headaches, skin rashes, hives, abdominal cramping or difficulty breathing, you may have a food allergy.

Food allergies occur when you have an abnormal sensitivity to a food which is normally harmless. Fortunately, life-threatening food allergies are very rare. However, even if your food allergies are not fatal, they can still make you miserable.

The most common foods that cause allergies include peanuts, fish, shellfish, milk, eggs, tree nuts and wheat. The best possible treatment for food allergy is to avoid the specific food. In some cases, a food allergy can be life-threatening and in these cases, all efforts must be made to keep that food away from the child’s diet and his/her activities. Children with severe food allergies should be given additional attention since the probability of accidental ingestion is higher. In these cases, the child’s school or other daycare providers should be informed of the specific allergy. For those with severe food allergies, the Food Allergy Network can be a great resource and often provide food recall alerts.

When it's not obvious to you what foods you are allergic to, allergy testing can help give you the answers. With this information, most patients with food allergies are able to modify their diet, have healthy tasty meals and live perfectly normal lives.

With the help of an allergist, you can develop a treatment plan which helps you stay out of trouble in the first place and also gives you specific instructions on what to do if you have a reaction to a particular food.

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