Food allergies: if you ask around, it seems like everyone has at least one of them these days. But are food allergies really so abundant?
Turns out, a lot of lay folks – and even some in the medical community – are commonly mistaking what would be better termed an “adverse reaction” or an “intolerance” for something that’s really much less common...and a good deal more severe.
Only around 8 percent of children, and anywhere from 2 to 10 percent of adults have a true food allergy, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. Just because your body doesn’t react well to certain foods does NOT mean that you are necessarily allergic to that food. The thing that distinguishes a real food allergy is an immune system reaction. Think of people who can’t eat peanuts — lots of them have to carry around inhalers, in case their throat closes up on them. That’s a true food allergy.
There are certainly a few guidelines for parents who are concerned about something in their child’s diet. Here are a few things you can do.
Partha’s Rx:
1. Don’t make assumptions or take chances when it comes to food allergies. Speak with your pediatrician.
2. Remember, although skin and blood tests are a good start, they don’t always tell the whole story.
3. Sometimes the devil is in the details! Ensure the conversation with your doctor about your child’s symptoms is in-depth.
4. Understand that you may have to speak with an allergy specialist to get a thorough diagnosis.
That's not to say that food intolerances aren’t serious. Because as anyone who’s had them knows, they can really affect your life. But food allergy symptoms are generally more severe. We’re talking about stomach cramps, hives, or even anaphylactic shock that can shut down breathing passages in severe cases. So nothing to play around with.
