Food Allergy

Editor: V. Dimov, M.D., Allergist/Immunologist, Cleveland Clinic Florida, Clinical Associate Professor, FAU Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine

A food allergy is an adverse immune response (typically IgE-mediated) triggered by a specific food. Food allergy affects between 3% and 8% of people. Every 3 minutes a food allergy reaction sends a patient to the ER (source: FARE).

How to use an epineprine autoinjector, EpiPen (video)
Food allergy basics (video)
Food Allergy Action Plan
Hives (urticaria) and angioedema
Eczema or atopic dermatitis



9 foods cause 90% of food allergies (click to enlarge the image). The likelihood of a negative oral food challenge is shown in relation to the respective values of skin prick test (SPT) and serum IgE (sIgE).



Food allergy management in 4 steps (click to enlarge the image).



Adverse Food Reactions (click to enlarge the image).



Allergic Rhinitis vs. Food Allergy - Efficacy of different treatment approaches (click to enlarge the image).



Food allergy - Only 3 ways to treat allergies (click to enlarge the image).



Allergic (atopic) march (click here to enlarge the image). Allergic (Atopic) March refers to the natural history or typical progression of allergic diseases that often begin early in life. These include atopic dermatitis (eczema), food allergy, allergic rhinitis (hay fever) and asthma.

What to expect when visiting an allergy clinic

Current allergy skin tests are virtually painless. This video by Dr. Bassett, a board-certified allergist from New York City, shows what to expect when visiting an allergy clinic for diagnosis and treatment:





Related reading:

Food Allergy Education for the Newly Diagnosed Pediatric Patient - part 1 and 2 (free full text) http://buff.ly/1l5hBmp and http://buff.ly/1l5hJ5w
Question to ask if a patient has a suspected episode of anaphylaxis

Image source: Wikipedia, GNU Free Documentation License.

Published: 07/06/2007
Updated: 05/02/2021

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