Food allergy or intolerance?

What is the difference between a food allergy and a food intolerance?

Food intolerance’s are a chemical reaction to a trigger.

A food allergy is a immune response to a trigger.

Food intolerance’s are generally less severe. The reaction may take longer to appear.

A food intolerance can be difficult to distinguish from a food allergy. A medical professional is the best to diagnose.

They will be able to provide the best answers and course of action for the individual child.

Food intolerance symptoms can take 12-24 hours to appear.

A food allergy generally shows symptoms immediately or very soon after food is offered.

A food allergy reaction occurs quickly after consuming or coming in contact with the food.

A severe food allergy does not always mean a child has to actually eat the food it can be just to come in contact with it.

An allergy is not the same as the more common food intolerance. A food intolerance does not include the immune system.

A food allergy occurs in 1 in 20 children but that usually pans out to be 1 in 100 by the time they reach adulthood.

Most of these allergies being mild cases. A baby or child who is allergic to cow’s milk, soy, wheat and egg, for example, will/may generally be able to tolerate varying amounts by the time they go to school.

It is recommended to re-introduce foods under the supervision or guidance of your doctor.

However, in contrast those who have an allergy to peanuts, seeds and seafood will generally have a lifelong allergy (in 75% of cases). These types of allergies are serious and can be life threatening and cause a anaphylaxis reaction. Anaphylactic reactions require a Action plan.

It is extremely important to be alert to any possible food allergy especially when introducing solids. While it is easier to identify a food allergy when you are introducing foods gradually in the introduction of solids process, it is possible for a child to develop an allergy at a later age.

Depending on which food needs to be eliminated from the diet you may need to discuss with a doctor to the alternatives or strategies put into place to ensure it is safe to eliminate.

Most of the time a child who displays a food allergy is likely to have a parent who has an allergy.

Some symptoms may be as mild as a skin reaction or symptoms similar to hay fever such as a blocked nose, pains in the tummy, diarrhea but they can range to as severe as difficulty swallowing and breathing.

Other symptoms can be common with both a food intolerance and a food allergy such as stomach cramps and diarrhea but to be accurate an allergy is something that involves the immune system reaction whereas intolerance is simply a bodily reaction until the body is able to expel the food. For example if you are lactose intolerant it can cause bloating, distension and loose bowel movements because the body is unable to break down the sugar (lactose) found in milk. There are varying degrees of reactions to food.

                            Food allergy                                                                                                                        Food intolerance

If your child has shown some signs of an allergy or intolerance then there are some steps that you can do. If you suspect a food allergy or intolerance then a good way is to keep a food diary.

That way once the food is eaten then you can record how much, the type of reaction,etc and it can be a useful tool when showing the doctor.

Another suggestion is to remove the food you think is causing concern for two weeks.

This is particularly good if you suspect more than one food. Once you have removed all the possible foods then re-introduce them slowly and one by one over a period of time so you can monitor the response.

Depending upon the previous reactions to the particular foods then it is highly recommended that the re-introduction be done under medical supervision.

A food allergy can be life threatening.

A severe allergic reaction can cause Anaphylactic shock.

If you have concerns about the difference then you can have your child tested for allergies. It is best to consult a doctor with any concerns as an allergy is serious and can be life threatening.