The cause of food allergies isn’t clear. But like all allergies, they result when your immune system identifies normally harmless, even beneficial, substances; in this case, certain foods or drinks, as harmful. Common food allergens include:

• Peanuts
• Tree nuts
• Chicken eggs
• Milk
• Shellfish and fish
• Wheat
• Soy

You might have more than one food allergy. Treatment at the Allergy & Immunology Center can reduce worrisome symptoms and improve your quality of life. 

Things that can increase your risk of developing food allergies include having other allergies, a family history of food allergies, and asthma. It is important to repeat food allergy testing once a year because children sometimes outgrow food allergies when their digestive systems mature.

Early introduction (exposure) to certain foods, like peanuts, can reduce the chance of developing allergies to those foods. Ask Dr. Shilian if this is safe for your child and, if so, when would be the best time to introduce certain foods.

Dr. Shilian reviews your medical history, checks your vital signs, and completes a physical exam to determine which food allergies you have. He offers allergy testing, including blood tests, skin prick tests, an elimination diet, or an oral food challenge. You receive small amounts of suspected food allergens during this challenge while Dr. Shilian observes your reaction.

To treat food allergies, you’ll need one or more of the following:

Emergency epinephrine

Using emergency epinephrine (an injection from a device like the EpiPen®) reduces severe or life-threatening allergic reactions until you’re able to receive medical attention.

Medicine

Taking certain medications after you experience minor allergic reactions can reduce symptoms.

Oral immunotherapy

Oral immunotherapy exposes you to the foods you are allergic to, in small but increasing amounts over time, to improve the body’s tolerance to such foods. The process is done under medical supervision and is considered an individualized treatment modality, backed up by decades of research and is now FDA approved. Using OIT, we can introduce allergenic food into the normal diet, or in case of high-risk individuals, we introduce low doses in order to prevent severe reactions after accidental exposure.

Call the Allergy & Immunology Center or request an appointment online today to be screened and/or treated for food allergies.Telemedicine appointments are available.