Common food allergies in children (Photo credit: Adams999)
The 9 Allergy Symptoms You May Experience From a Food Allergy
SO WHAT IS A FOOD ALLERGY ANYWAY ?
An easy way to explain it is that our bodies are always protecting us from anything that it thinks might be harmful to us. Our bodies are constantly fighting off things like viruses and harmful bacteria. Our immune system is designed to target and attack harmful things that we ingest from our environment. When our immune system is fighting things it can become overactive and start attacking things we eat or breathe, thinking they are harmful to us, like pollens, pet dander or food and the results are allergy symptoms.
Food allergies result from an over-reaction of your body’s immune system to the proteins in the foods we eat. It can be a sudden reaction causing a severe onset of hives, difficulty breathing or a slower one that presents like you just don’t feel well, or have a rash, or the flu or a cold. We all have these kind of symptoms often enough that we usually don’t even think about the possibility of a food allergy. We just know that something bothered us, and it DID!
The following is a list of some of the symptoms you might experience if you have a food allergy. The more of these symptoms you have, the more likely it is that you have a food allergy, (or perhaps some other type of allergy). My grandson had 7 of these 9 symptoms. If you think you have a food allergy you need to see a physician or other medical provider and undergo the necessary tests to determine if you have an allergy problem or something else.
NINE ALLERGY SYMPTOMS YOU MAY EXPERIENCE FROM A FOOD ALLERGY:
1. Rash: This is the number one telltale sign. The rash may vary from a simple redness on the skin or it may include bumps, swelling, blistering or hives.
2. Itching: This can be mild or severely debilitating and is usually associated with a rash.
3. Breathing Trouble: Depending on the severity of the reaction, the person can have difficulty breathing or may stop breathing altogether. Asthma may develop and be triggered with reactions to the specific offending food. As with Asthma, if you are having a hard time breathing it could be accompanied by wheezing or coughing. If you have a toddler that has developed asthma, you may want to note what they have been eating prior to the asthma attack.
4. Eye Problems: You’ve seen this often when people suffer from outdoor allergies. Their eyes itch, water or may appear bloodshot. One other indicator is dark circles and puffiness under and around the eyes.
5. Swelling: Swelling of the face and tongue is common. My grandson had swollen cheeks and we couldn’t figure it out. If the tongue becomes too swollen it can block your airway and prevent proper breathing. You can have swelling of the lips and tingling of the lips when eating the offending food also.
6. Headache: Headache can result from the swelling of tissues in the face, sinuses and head.
7. Nasal Symptoms: This may vary from a runny nose to a stuffy nose or sneezing.
8. Stomach Problems: Digestive complaints such as stomach ache, cramps, nausea, vomiting or bloody diarrhea can occur.
9. Shock/Anaphylaxis: This is by far the most uncommon and most dangerous result of food allergy. It usually occurs shortly after eating the offending food. It often presents with the rapid onset (minutes) of confusion, difficulty breathing, rapid weak pulse, which may then progress to complete unconsciousness and unresponsiveness; and, if not treated, can result in death.
EpiPens are portable epinephrine-dispensing devices which can be used to alleviate the symptoms of severe, acute allergies. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Most allergic reactions to a specific food allergen does NOT produce shock or anaphylaxis, but recognition of the symptoms can help you decide when to use an Epi-Pen and call 911. My grandson has had an Epi-Pen ordered for him since he was a baby.
You may have noticed that many young children display some of these symptoms and mom’s don’t usually give it much thought unless they are running a fever. Many children have runny noses and cough and sneeze a lot. Many children have rashes and may itch especially if they live in dry climates. Skin rashes are common as are itchy eyes. Who doesn’t get dark circles under their eyes if they are not sleeping well? But healthy children DON’T experience very many of these symptoms on a regular, ongoing time frame.
So again, I just caution you that if you feel something is wrong…take your child in to be evaluated. Don’t let months go by thinking he or she will outgrow what ever it is. And again, if you don’t get help from your physician, then I highly recommend seeing a naturopath or other medical provider….”The squeeky wheel gets the grease”. It shouldn’t have to be that way, but it is! You have to advocate for your children, family and friends.
You can read here more about the top 5 food allergies .
I hope you have found this post on Food Allergy helpful.
Thank you for the great information! My grandson is 4 and has been diagnosed with asthma, We are never sure what triggers his attacks but I had not really considered that it could be food! We’re going to have to be conscious of that possibility!
Having just read this, and tomorrow I am going to a doctor to have allergy testing done. I can’t help but wonder if my sinus troubles are from food issues. UGGG! Not looking forward to it tomorrow.
Thanks so much for this information as many may not be aware of these symptoms. When I worked in daycare we had kids with severely allergies, so they had a epipen with them all the time. It can really be serious for many
Wow, a lot of great info here. My husband has bad allergies, as did his mom, so we were always worried our kids would have them too. REactions can be very subtle, and hard to tell digestive issues in younger kids.
There are also more subtle allergies that might show up as extreme tiredness or temper tantrums in young children.
Thanks Cloth Mama for adding extreme tiredness and tantrums to the list!
i need to copy this and put it on my refrigerator door as a reminder to consider allergies when some of these symptoms arise.
I have found that everyone in my family – except me – has problems tolerating Mangoes. Lips and tongue well up after eating. They also get really gross purple blisters from poison ivy. Me? I love mangoes, and don’t get a single itch from poison ivy. Hmmmm…..
Thanks for the helpful information! I’m glad I don’t have any food allergies.
Knew that already, biut still useful! 🙂
I didn’t know that a food allergy would cause all of those symptoms. I have thought I have allergies to some foods because of how my stomach feels after I eat them an now with this list I can watch and be more sure it is food allergies. My youngest Grandson has food allergies also and we notice that he gets the dark circles under his eyes but since we keep him from the things he is allergic to his dark circles have cleared up.
I’ve not experienced any food allergies (knock on wood). I know many people do suffer from them. 🙁
Whoa,that is scary what an allergy can do! I am thankful to have read your article because I take care of little ones for some working moms.Thank you so much for the heads up on what to watch for.My husband’s face swoll up one time from taking a new pill and had to be taken off of it so anything you injest can cause allergies.Even some medications.
I didnt know that it could possibly cause food allergies
Hmm I guess ya learn something everyday I did NOT know that it could possibly cause a food allergy
I’m mildly allergic to eggplant and kiwi. My friend is allergic to uncooked granny smith apples. Allergies are a strange thing.
Our dilemma of late is the RASH – my son has it on both arms. Been going on for a month now – took him to the doctor and got a prescribled cream – cleared it up somewhat then it came back. I went back to the detergent that I use to use, watched everything he ate. Then it dawned on me – the rash was no where else on his body. His elementary school started using Green products to clean the children’s desk – now when he goes to school he washes the top of his desk – Voila – rash is disappearing. Sometimes the simple solutions escape us, remain vigilent.
Wow Eva! Thanks for the tip. I don’t think I ever would have thought to check what they use at school!
I went into Anaphylaxis shock when i was a baby from citrus and now I’m miraculously over it! Thanks for the tips!
It’s good to know these just in case. So far no problems but you never know
Good article! My daughter is allergic to all milk products and even lactose free products! Almond milk has been the only thing that does not give her a rash on her bottom! food allergies are becoming more and more common, i myself believe it is due to all the additives put into foods and drinks nowadays… whatever happened to REAL foods that dont cost a FORTUNE???
I agree Allyson!
Thank you for the list!
My fiancee’s nephew is allergic to peanut butter. Whenever they would visit my fiancee’s mother for holidays she had to make sure there was no peanuts or peanut butter in anything and he also had to carry an epi-pen with them just in case. This is a scary thing. Thanks for sharing this.
i have an epipen
Thanks for the heads up–yikes!
Just last week, my face swelled-up and I broke out with a terrible rash (that has now left me with large red dry patches on my forehead, cheeks and eyelids) as well as my neck. I am 47 years old and have never experienced anything like this before. After taking Benadryl for 3 days, which had no effect in reducing the swolleness in my face, I succumbed to going to the doctors (unfortunately, I am unemployed – from being laid-off, and thus have no medical insurance) – who matter-of-factly stated that it was an allergic reaction I was experiencing (but to what? is unknown?). He administered an epinephrine shot and a prescription of Claritin. After a couple of days, it finally cleared and then it took a few more days of applying petroleum gel to my face to smooth away the dry & flaky patches. – As far as I know, I did not try anything different on my face/body nor had I eaten anything different. And since I was unaware of how I became allergic, two days later, it happened again to my face – red and patchy swellings on my entire face – and this time, more worse than before. It started late Friday (and, as previously mentioned, I am without medical insurance), so I had to endure this discomfort the entire weekend (as the medical offices are not open – and as I felt it was not life-threatening, refrained from going to the Emergency Room). This allergy is only affecting the skin on my face and neck. I am not experiencing any swollen glands nor having difficulty breathing – Thank God! So now, I am just waiting for the doctor’s office to open (in another hour) and get another epinephrine shot and hopefully some skin testing to determine what is causing this sudden allergic reaction/outbreak! Wish me Luck 🙂
Wow Sylvia! I hope they figure out what is causing it..it sounds like a bad reaction.
My grandson only had reaction on his face and neck too…and has a true allergy to dairy. With bad intolerances to gluten, nuts, soy and more! They ended up doing a blood assay for allergies on him. Good luck and post back what they find. I’d like to know.
I had allergy tests done for food allergies and came up with zero! I was so relieved, but I know I have a gluten sensitivity (just not a protein allergy). I wish that nutritional labels would be clearer in the US! They can put “Contains peanuts, wheat, and milk products” but they can’t label it vegan or vegetarian? I’ve been a label reader my whole life, but it’d be a whole lot easier for people like my husband to shop if they could just glance at the ingredients list and see that.
I know Lianne…Label reading is really important for Vegans and people with allergies!
I am lucky to have no food allergies, but I am vegan so I can relate to not being able to have certain foods. My mother, however, must have some kind of allergy because she has broken out in a terrible rash that has lasted forever. Thanks for sharing this article.
I have really started taking my family and my health more seriously in the last few years. I start a small garden, using heirloom seeds, and mostly eat the vegs. from it. My eye sight has really improved over the last two years because I lowered my sugar intake……Hey it really works. You are what you eat. thank you
Hi Betty…Thanks for sharing that your eye sight has gotten better with whole foods you grew yourself!
Allergies can be scary
i am very lucky my children are only allergic to predinosione SP thanks for tips to look out for
Thanks for posting. I have been diagnosed with IBS and some foods effect me really bad. I have often wondered if I have an allergy to certain foods. But I have never had any of the symptoms above. Just the bad stomach problems. Ty for all the info.
Food allergies do cause me a lot of illness. The mold spores, pet dander, and other things do, too.
happy my kids dont have allergies
Great information and service you are providing! Keep spreading all the Fabulous Love around!!
oh my, didn’t even know that could happen, so scary.
I never knew about all of these. Thanks for the information.
My daughter has an Epi for her dairy allergies. Thankfully we have never had to use it.
I wish I was allergic to sugar and chocolate! It would sure help my diet!!!
Yikes! Thanks for sharing!!!
Thank You for all the great info! We actually think my husbands migraines were triggered by certain food allergies – once we eliminated them his headaches stopped! It’s good for everyone to know all about them because it’s not something we thought of right away.
Thank You For This post My son Has Allergies To Food So This Is Very Helpful To Me As Well To Others Thanks For Sharing This With Us
I have an allergy test scheduled for next week, thank you for the tips!
I feel so bad for those who have food allergies. 🙁
Food allergies are scary. You never know if you or a child has one until you see the reaction.
my daughter when she was young was allergic to lactose in milk and it was very difficult, as the first child and having very difficult experience I realized this detail
I cannot even touch something, that has been in contact with the cashew family, and the urushiol oil. This includes poison ivy, poison oak, sumak, pink peppercorns, pistachios, cashews, and mangos. This means that if food is made in a place, where anything in the cashew family is used, the other food can become contaminated with urushiol. When I am in grocery stores, I have to worry about the conveyor belt at the check out, people touching mangos, and touching products, and carts. I was my hands in the restroom before leaving, after bringing in groceries, and again after putting them away. Then I washing things before using them and wash my hands afterward. It is scary. Mangos are being put into many cosmetics and foods.
Yikes Vikki…your allergy sounds very difficult to find…..yes mango is so “in” right now.
Glad you know what it is that causes you problems anyways…that’s the first step for relief.
Great now I have ideas whenever I get one, at least I won’t panic next time … thanks so much for this and more power
Good information. I am blessed to not have any food allergies. My nose only drips after Frank’s hot sauce and I’m pretty sure that’s not an allergy. 🙂 ha
rI have to go get an allergy test done, since moving to this house, I have been breaking out in hives and my son in nosebleeds. Hope it”s just the drastic climate change from living in California to moving to NY
nosebleeds doesn’t sound like allergies….
Hope you all feel better.
This was a good read, I am always wondering if my son is going to have an allergy.
My daughter has a very severe dairy allergy- we have an Epipen.
I”m thankful they have epipens now
We have to be so aware of allergies of our students at school now. There are so many children who are allergic.
Thanks for this post about food allergies. My fiancee has a nephew who cannot eat peanut butter or peanuts if he does then he will go into Anaphylaxic shock so he has to have an epi pen on him at all times.
Glad they know what to do for him Tina.
mine are headaches i have in our family eggs, milk and other stuff but this was healpful
I get lots of headaches I will start keeping track of what I eat!
You can’t learn enough about food allergies. Whether it is for yourself or to be aware of someone else.
You could not have summed it up any better. I was unfortunate enough to have a reaction to something last year that sent me to the hospital. Still unsure exactly what it was, but I experienced hives over my entire body and severe breathing problems. Hope to never experience this again.
Anita, that is scary because you don’t know what caused that reaction!
Very informative.Thanks!
Food allergies are super scary…especially when you don’t know you have them. Thanks for listing the symptoms…this is good for parents who are letting their kids try new foods.
I have a 2 year old that I’m always worried about having a reaction to something when she tries new food. Thank you for posting this so I know what to look out for.
I don’t have food allergies. I am terribly allergic to a certain antibiotic though,so I can relate.
Reading through the comments kind of scares and saddens me – most of the things people are describing are not allergies, and many can be addressed by not overeating, avoiding spicy foods, etc – plus just calming down and not assuming that every physical reaction is a sign of a serious problem! If you experience a consistent symptom for an extended period of time in response to a certain food or environmental presence, it may be worth looking into the full battery of allergy tests. There are also conditions other than allergies that relate to food – celiac disease, lactose-intolerance, etc. – so if you go to the doctor, describe your symptoms and what seems to prompt them – don’t assume your self-diagnosis is correct!
Megan true! Never assume to make a self diagnosis. Have your symptoms confirmed by a health care practitioner.
Definitely food for thought, I will have to keep these things in my the next time my son is sick. I have a allergy to bell peppers they give me a migraine and I feel hot. I have to be careful even the slightest amount can affect me.
I work in a school and so many kids these days have allergies. It is very frightening when one of them has an allergic reaction. We have to be so careful of what other children bring into the classroom.
Wendy thanks for your perspective from a school! I didn’t realize they now have allergy free schools even!
Thank you so much for posting this. I knew about some of the symptoms of food allergies but not of all of them. I have stomach problems after i eat on a daily basis I wonder if this could be do to an allergy. I guess i will have to go get this checked out. Thanks again for posting this is so very informative and important to know about.
Excited I found your blog! Just thought I’d share…my reaction to gluten is joint pain…sometimes feeling like my joints are on fire.
Yikes Alyson…painful joints…
I never realized that there were so many symptoms for food allergies. This is really good information to keep on hand. Thanks.
Thank you for this blog, because it gives me ideas of what to watch for with my 4 year old daughter. So far we have been lucky with her, and the only allergy is to latex. We found that out when we put her first bandaid on and saw her scratching at it about an hour after putting it on, and when we removed it there was a rash around where the edges of the bandaid were. We thought it was a bad reaction but 3 months later when she needed a bandaid again, it happened again, and the doctor said she is allergic to latex, and to make sure people were aware. Also they said that she may change over the years, but it is much safer to continue to assume she is until she is much older and has a more well developed immune system to test it.
Thanks for sharing about your allergy problems!
for the past 5 yrs our family has cut out gluten, dairy, soy, sugar and try to eat 75% raw…never felt better!
Fingers crossed, my son has not developed any allergies to anything yet.
WE have come a long way , keep up the good work
I have SEVERE food allergies from a whole binder full of foods (and other allergens as well) So much so that I carry a double Epi-pen. The thing I want to stress is that it can happen at any age to any food. Many of the foods that I test positive for now in adulthood, I ate all my life. UNTIL I had the reaction, anaphylaxis that landed me in the ER, I had NO IDEA what caused it. I’m just saying if your child gets itchy, blotchy, or any symptom that might be a reaction, treat it as though he IS allergic. I know parents (and Drs) would rather act on the side of caution and be safe, Thank you for this VERY IMPORTANT post! =)
Kathleen, thanks so much for your comments. When we were younger they didn’t play with genetic engineering or all the other stuff that goes on with foods now. Somehow we have to get back to organic and natural, not saying that will stop this rise in allergies but in my mind what would cause such a rise that seems to be in all ages?
The only thing I am allergic to are bee’s and coconut. Bee stings…just ugly and I carry an epipen for that. I don’t eat coconut anymore. It used to make my mouth and throat itch, then my face would be big red splotchy hives and that was that. Not too long ago I ate something that had coconut milk in it and it wasn’t the taste, but the reaction I had. As I get older I find that the allergy response to coconut to be worse.
Maddie if you have to carry an epipen…you have to be so careful! Thanks for your comments! It is amazing how many people are increasing that have allergies!
I ENJOYED YOUR ARTICLE AND FELT LIKE VERBALLY RESPONDING. WHEN I WAS YOUNGER A ALLERGY TO PEANUT BUTTER WAS MILD, NOW IT’S SEPARATE CHAIRS TABLE. HOW DID WE GET TO THIS POINT? MORE ASTHMA THEN EVER.UT US QUITE SCARY. NEVER HEARD OF THE PEN. I AM OLDER BUT IT’S A GOOD THING TO KEEP UP ON:)
Kathleen, thank you for your comments. My sons are 30 and 34 now and they had severe asthma as toddlers and onward in life, so I’ve been around this for years. Now that my grandson has severe food allergy and sensitivity I know what to do…but am not any more comfortable having to deal with it. It is quite scary.
I AM TERRIFIED OF PEOPLE WITH SEVERE ALLERGIES ESPECIALLY CHILDREN, I TRY TO READ AS MUCH AS I CAN ON IT SO BAD THINGS DO NOT HAPPEN BUT THERE SEEMS TO BE MORE AND MORE DIFFERENT TYPES OF FOOD ALLERGIES, THAT IT IS HARD TO KEEP UP. FOR EXAMPLE SOMEONE IN THESE COMMENTS SAID THEIR SON IS ALLERGIC TO POWDERED MILK, I DID NOT KNOW THIS EVEN EXISTED.
I agree Jennifer that allergies seem to be on the rise…my personal bias is that it is due to all the genetic engineering that is going on with foods and with herbicides and pesticides.
Any kind of allergy can be frightening. Especially in a child.
I agree Lisa
My son has very severe allergic reactions to peanuts and all dairy. We found out when I gave him just a tiny organic yogurt melt at 9 months. I didn’t even think about the possibility of an allergic reaction to milk, so I gave him a bite. In less than a minute he had splotches all over his face, his eyes were puffy and his lips were beginning to swell. It is so severe that even being in the same general area as milk proteins (usually in powder form, like whey shakes) will affect him. We have been to Primary Children’s hospital 3x for his milk allergy, and I’m praying that we never have to experience his peanut allergy because it probably wont be pretty. We did take a flight on Southwest airlines, where they completely withheld the service of peanuts, but since there was residual dust in the air from previous flights, we had to get him to the E.R. as soon as we landed, both ways. He ended up with pneumonia from the inflammation and swelling in his lungs.
Thank you for posting this. I wish that people were more aware of food allergies and what can possibly happen. I’m tired of people telling me that I should “just give him a little at a time” even though any amount is dangerous.
My grandson also has severe food allergies. He saw a naturopath who was the ONLY one among many MD’s who found his problem. They did a specific type of blood test that shows true allergy vs intolerance. So that alone was comforting because true allergies will lead to anaphylaxis!
I agree just a little if VERY dangerous. My grandson has true allergy to dairy and just a bite or being touched by someone with dairy on their hands can send him into full hives and wheezing.
I’m sorry your son has had to be hospitalized for his allergies. I hate label reading but I have to now..on everything!
Thank goodness my son does not have any food allergies-at least not that we have come across yet. But the little boy that I babysit has serious nut allergies so we have to be very cautious what we give him. He had a reaction at his grandparents once and when he came over again 3 days later he was still red and puffy poor baby 🙁
Hi Sam,
My grandson has severe food allergies. The red and puffy you describes fits my grandson to a tee!
It is so sad to see them like that 🙁 It is good to know that a lot of kids end up growing out of their allergies sooner or later though!
I can’t tell you how much I appreciate this information. I’ve been suffering daily with horrible headaches and stomach problems. I’m wondering if it’s something I might be allergic too. I guess I shall start by some process of eliminations. Thank you for posting this.
You can also have a blood test run…naturopaths order it and it is very informative…
Thank you for this very informative post. I did not know half of the symptoms of allergies. I am glad that I do know so that I can recognize them.
Your Welcome and thanks for your comments
Thanks for the information, never thought that there was this much behind allergies.
I have food sensitivity. Possibly allergies. I did have a bad reaction to an antibiotic once and had to be hospitalized.
Lisa, yikes I bet that was scary
I find as I get older I become allergic to more things, very frustrating… now i’m allergic to a lot of spices, and there are a lot of spicy foods… sigh
more a reason to cook at home for sure
It just seems very strange to me that there is such an increase in allergies for all ages!
Wow I didnt know that headaches could be a sign of a food allergy. Something I definitely will keep in mind.
Thanks for the nice explanation of food allergies. It amazes how many people are sensitive to different foods
I agree.. thank for your comments Rich
I developed a tree nut allergy at age 30. I miss tree nuts.
I think all these allergies could be due to increased gmo and herbicides…
I would miss nuts too.
My husband has a lot of stomach problems, and I’ve been wondering for a long time if it is a food allergy. Thanks for all the info!
This is very scary because you pointed out some new signs to look for that I was not familiar with. Thanks for the information because my daughter has allergies.
I have bad stomach problems I wonder if it is a type of allergies,thanks for the information.
always have been scared of my kids being allergic to foods, but we have been blessed so far
My reaction to certain foods is my post nasal drip.
Ditto! Along with a mild sinus headache.