Millions of people around the world suffer from food allergies. For them, foods that we routinely consume can be life-threatening.

Food allergies are caused by the exaggerated reaction of the immune system to certain foods. Because they cannot be cured, avoiding the allergen, or substance responsible for the allergy, is the only way to protect against them.

What are the symptoms?
Symptoms of food allergy can appear within few minutes to couple of hours after consumption of the allergen. Most frequently encountered symptoms (all of these don’t necessarily develop) include skin rash or hives, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach cramps, itching or tingling around the mouth, swelling of the face, tongue and lips, wheezing, coughing, dizziness, swelling of vocal cords and throat and breathlessness or loss of consciousness. While some people suffer mild effects, some others may face serious consequences, and may need immediate attention and help from doctors.

Food allergies are diagnosed by a doctor on the basis of the patient’s history and certain tests.

Allergens common in India
While almost any food can be allergic, few common foods are usually responsible for almost 90 percent of food-related allergies. Patterns of common allergens differ across regions and cultures, and may increase with higher consumption.

Dairy, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts such as walnuts, almonds and cashews, fish, shellfish, soya, wheat and, increasingly, sesame generally top the list of most common allergens. However, incidence of allergies to milk, eggs and wheat, though common in India, are relatively less frequent then in the West. In contrast, dals (pulses) such as chickpeas are more common allergens in India and even allergy to rice has been reported. Fried foods and non-vegetarian foods have also been identified as common causes of allergies in India.

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