If you're dealing with a food allergy, you're not alone. Approximately 20 million people in the United States are navigating food allergies. Allergic reactions can range from aggravating to fatal, if not treated promptly.

In this blog, learn what triggers an allergic reaction in the first place, what more severe symptoms of food allergies look like, and what you can do about it.

What Causes an Allergic Reaction?

Sometimes, your body encounters something it thinks is a threat even though it isn't. Certain foods are common allergens — things like peanuts and shellfish. Your body's immune system meets this "intruder," deems it a danger, and kicks into high gear to protect you by producing antibodies that attack the intruder.

When this happens, you experience an allergic reaction, which might manifest as sneezing, watery eyes, a runny nose, itchy skin, and so on.

The immune system is only doing its job, just like how it protects you when you're exposed to a bacteria or virus. It doesn't realize that it's okay for you to eat dairy or peanuts or whatever it decided was a threat.

What Does a Severe Allergic Reaction Look Like?

A lot of the time, food allergy symptoms are relatively minor — like itchy eyes or a stuffy nose. However, about one in 20 Americans has experienced anaphylaxis, a more severe allergic reaction that involves more than one organ system in the body.

With anaphylaxis, common symptoms include:

• Dizziness or fainting

• Vomiting or diarrhea

• Swelling of the lips, tongue, or throat

• Difficulty breathing or swallowing

• A feeling of impending doom

Anaphylaxis can happen within seconds of exposure to an allergen. Again, the immune system mistakenly identifies a food as a danger, goes on high alert, and floods the body with chemicals that cause it to go into shock. As a result, your blood pressure plummets, and your airway might narrow.

The only way to effectively address anaphylactic shock is with an injection of epinephrine. If you or someone you know goes into shock, you should consider it a medical emergency. Time is of the essence because anaphylaxis can be deadly.

Are Food Allergies Genetic?

Genetics can play a role in whether or not you experience a food allergy. However, just because your mom has a peanut allergy doesn't automatically mean that you will too. Family history is just one of several variables. And even if you have the same food allergy as a relative, you might not experience the same symptoms.

It's also important to remember that food allergies can also happen due to shared environmental factors. In other words, you didn't "inherit" that food allergy from your parent. Rather, there's something you both experienced in your home environment that somehow contributed to the development of that food allergy.

Learn more in our blog, Are Food Allergies Genetic?

An Allergic Reaction is Not the Same as a Food Sensitivity

Some people eat certain foods, get a belly ache, and then assume that they have a food allergy. But this might simply be a sensitivity to that food and not an allergic reaction.

The key difference is in how exactly the body responds. With food sensitivities, there is no immune system response. The problem, instead, is with digestion. In other words, there's something about that food that your gut doesn't like.

In a food allergy, the immune system takes center stage.

Similarly, food poisoning is not the same as food allergies, although the symptoms can look similar. Food poisoning is typically the result of spoiled food or a dish that hasn't been thoroughly cooked or preserved.

Read our blog, Food Allergy vs Food Intolerance: What's the Difference?

Celiac Disease Isn't Technically a Food Allergy, Either

People with celiac disease can't eat gluten without experiencing symptoms. So, this is a food allergy, right?

Not exactly.

Celiac disease is actually an autoimmune disease that triggers the body to attack normal cells in the small intestine upon consumption of gluten. But having a "gluten allergy" isn't like having other food allergies because there is no risk of going into anaphylactic shock.

Read our blog, Is Celiac Disease Genetic?

Can You Eliminate a Food Allergy?

There's some good news here! Allergies to certain foods can be outgrown over time. For example, people who used to not be able to consume milk, eggs, wheat, and soy often find that as they get older, their allergic reactions go away.

However, food allergies to peanuts, tree nuts, fish, and shellfish tend to persist for life. In this case, the best thing you can do is pay close attention to food labels and avoid the food allergens that trigger your symptoms. Unfortunately, there is not yet any "cure" for food allergies.

What If You Can't Tell What's Causing Your Food Allergy Symptoms?

Maybe you experience potential symptoms of a food allergy but you don't know what caused them. Was it the grilled cheese you had for lunch, the deliciously sweet-and-salty chocolate-covered peanuts, or the baked cod you had for dinner?

To narrow down what is causing your allergy symptoms, you can try an elimination diet. You eliminate the foods that could be triggering your allergic reaction and then slowly add them back into your diet, one at a time. By isolating them, you can determine what the culprit is.

However, the quickest, easiest, and most accurate way to gain insight into your food allergies is with allergy testing! A simple blood test can determine how your body responds to certain foods, like egg whites, cow's milk, and soybeans. Do you have a peanut allergy? Should you have skipped the shrimp cocktail? Allergy testing will tell you.

eNational Testing screens for all of the most common food allergies, including codfish, sesame seeds, and walnuts. We have more than 2,700 locations nationwide, making it more convenient than ever to get the lab work you need.

Learn more about our allergy testing or find a location near you today.

Living With Food Allergies: Stay Aware!

You can avoid an allergic reaction by knowing what your trigger food is and always reading food labels. If you think you might be at risk of severe allergic reactions (or someone close to you might be), it's wise to carry something like an EpiPen on you in case of emergencies.

Did you enjoy this blog? Learn more about the most common food allergens.