Top 5 Common Food Allergies and Their Impact
This article explores the five most common food allergies, including peanuts, dairy, wheat, shellfish, and soy. It covers symptoms, risk factors, and available treatments like immunotherapy and epinephrine. Understanding these allergies helps with prevention and management, ensuring safety and awareness for those affected.
Food allergies affect many people across all ages. They occur when the immune system mistakenly sees certain food proteins as threats, triggering reactions like inflammation, rashes, breathing issues, and in severe cases, anaphylactic shock. While many foods can cause adverse reactions, these five are most frequently responsible.
Peanuts
Peanut allergies are among the leading food sensitivities, and reactions can be extremely severe, sometimes fatal. Family history increases the risk of developing this allergy.
Milk
Milk allergy is the top food allergy in infants and young children but often resolves over time. It involves reactions to milk proteins like whey and casein and should not be confused with lactose intolerance, which is a digestion issue.
Wheat
Most children outgrow wheat allergies by adolescence, but some adults remain sensitive to various wheat proteins, leading to symptoms such as nausea, itching, and severe allergic reactions. It’s distinct from celiac disease, which is an autoimmune condition related to gluten.
Shellfish
Typically persisting into adulthood, shellfish allergy is often lifelong and can provoke severe reactions, even from contact or inhaling steam during cooking. Proteins in crustaceans and mollusks are common triggers.
Soy
Soy allergies are common in infants but can also appear in adults. Symptoms are generally mild, including skin rashes and stomach cramps.
Due to the potential severity of peanut allergies, treatments such as immunotherapy aim to desensitize individuals by gradually increasing exposure. Epinephrine injections are available to quickly counteract life-threatening reactions like anaphylaxis.
