Can Adults Develop Food Allergies?

A food allergy can develop at any time in a person’s life. Adults too may find themselves developing food allergies. The process is not clear as to why or how this is done.

Food allergies occur most often in children, but can also appear at any given age and can be caused by foods that were previously eaten and enjoyed without any problems. Excessive exposure to a particular food may also affect the overall rate of allergy to that food, as seen in the Scandinavians who consume fish and the Japanese who eat a large quantity of rice.

Heredity seems to be the primary reason some people have allergies and other people don’t. If both parents had allergies, you have approximately a 75% chance of being allergic as well. If one parent is allergic, you have relatives on one side with allergies; you have a 30 to 40 % chance of developing some form of allergy. If neither parent had an apparent allergy, the chance is 10 to 15 percent.

Once the food allergy has been confirmed, the most effective means of dealing with the food allergy is by the process of elimination. The patient should not eat the offending food in any form. The patient must be watchful and check labels on food products and learn other names of identifying the responsible food or food additive to make certain it is not present.

When dining out, be careful and take an extra measure by taking your medications with you. If you have a history of severe reactions, you will want your medicine handy. Waiters aren’t paid to know all the ingredients in every dish on the menu.

In many adult food allergies, strict adherence to an elimination diet is the main process of outgrowing the food allergy. The majority number of patients with documented allergic reactions to eggs, cow’s milk, and soy eventually become tolerant to these items. Allergies to things such as peanuts, tree nuts, fish and shellfish, however last a lifetime and are never outgrown.

Approximately one-third of children and adults will eventually be free of their allergic reactions to foods after closely following appropriate diets free of the offensive food allergens.

After six months of being free from those foods that created your allergic reactions, your doctor may recommend that you undergo an oral food challenge under close observation to reassess your allergy symptoms. If you don’t have a reaction, then you will be able to reintroduce the food into your diet. If any symptoms do occur, the dietary restriction should remain in tact.