Chances are you know at least one person that has a food allergy. Food allergies have become increasingly common in recent years and luckily awareness has increased as well. Anyone with a food allergy knows what a serious topic this is as it can send a sufferer to the emergency room or even cause a fatality.

Some people experience food intolerance instead of a food allergy which can cause confusion; they are different conditions that can cause different reactions.

A food intolerance, sometimes called a food sensitivity, results in a delayed reaction to a food or food additive. A food allergy on the other hand can cause a reaction within minutes of consuming the triggering food. An intolerance occurs because the food isn’t being digested properly due to things like a lack of enzymes, but an allergy is an immune response.

A food allergy is the body’s reaction to a substance that it views as possibly harmful. The immune system works to constantly protect our bodies from these things it deems harmful. The allergen is seen by the body as one of these substances so the immune system goes to work trying to protect the body by releasing protective chemicals. One of the chemicals released is histamine, which can affect the nose, eyes, throat, skin or GI tract.

How do you know if you’re having an allergic reaction? Some of the signs are a tingly feeling in or around the mouth, swelling of the tongue, throat or lips, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, hives or shortness of breath. In more serious cases the reaction can lead to anaphylactic shock which involves several systems in the body and can even lead to death.

A small number of foods are responsible for the vast majority of food allergies in the U.S. The eight foods that most commonly cause allergies are dairy, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, seafood, shellfish, soy and wheat. Allergens can vary a bit from country to country, but these eight are typically the most common in all countries.

Treatment for food allergies, as with most allergies, is to avoid the allergen. While this may seem pretty basic with a food allergy, it may not be as simple as it sounds. Many processed or packaged foods contain hidden allergens. Because of this problem the U.S. now requires companies to list foods that contain any of the main eight allergens.

The labeling has been a big help, but unfortunately it doesn’t assure the food is completely free of allergens. They can also slip into the food system through cross-contamination. This can be a problem when a plant products multiple foods, some of which contain common allergens. The machines are cleaned before processing a new food, but traces of the allergen can remain and be passed to the next food that’s processed.

Those who suffer from food allergies need to fully understand food labels and they need to read them carefully. They will also need to know the other possible names of ingredients that can contain specific allergens. For example those with a milk protein allergy will also need to avoid casein because it is a form of milk protein.

It’s important for allergy sufferers to know the signs of an allergic reaction, and to know how to treat themselves. A common treatment method is the use of an EpiPen. It’s also a good idea to carry a medical alert bracelet or card noting the allergy.