WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF FOOD ALLERGY?
- Symptoms of Food Allergy usually appear during the first year of life
Food Allergy symptoms are usually dependent on the age when they first appear. During the early weeks of life, symptoms are usually gastrointestinal symptoms (e.g. vomiting and diarrhoea).
In the first months or years, dermatological symptoms appear, affecting the skin (e.g. atopic eczema). Respiratory symptoms then appear (e.g. asthma), with real asthma from 3 years old and rhinitis from puberty.
The intensity of the allergic response also affects the severity of the symptoms, the most severe being that of anaphylaxis.
Anaphylaxis is usually an immediate response to an ingested allergenic food and the symptoms are usually:
Low blood pressure and tachycardia - which can cause death.
Tightening of the airways - which can stop breathing.
Quincke oedema - which also leads to respiratory problems.
Eczema or rhinitis - which are mere delayed reactions.
