It is estimated that about four percent of adults and six to eight percent of children under the age of three have a food allergy.
A food allergy is when the immune system responds abnormally by causing an allergic reaction in an individual when a certain type of food is consumed.
These reactions typically occur within minutes of having eaten the food and can be mild to severe and in some cases life threatening.
These allergic reactions should not be confused with a food intolerance which affects the digestive system and is considerably more common but does not involve the immune system.
If you suspect you may have a food allergy it is important that you schedule an appointment with your doctor who can help you with performing certain tests to determine whether you have an actual food allergy or food intolerance.
It is essential that you make a list of all the foods which you normally consume as well as the symptoms you are experiencing and bring this with you to your appointment.
Your doctor may then try and determine through the process of elimination which foods are causing you to have a reaction by asking you to remove certain suspect foods from your diet then gradually adding them back one at a time.
However, this method will not be used if you have had a severe or life threatening reaction to any type of food.
Your physician will perform a physical examination as well to try and determine whether there are any other medical conditions which could be causing the problem.
Your physician may also refer you to a doctor who specializes in the treatment of allergies who can perform skin or blood testing which may determine the exact allergen that is causing the reaction.
While medications can be prescribed to help alleviate the symptoms of an allergy attack, there is no cure for a food allergy.
Therefore, it is essential that you make every effort to avoid the foods which you know or suspect are causing your symptoms.