|  | Conditions Treatments | Allergies

Allergies & Abdominal Pain

Food allergies affect nearly 11 million people in the United States and cause a variety of symptoms, many of which are similar to those caused by seasonal allergies. But abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea are specific to food allergies.

  1. Cause of Food Allergies

    • As with other allergies, the body will react as though a particular substance is harmful. Consequently, the immune system produces antibodies to fight the food allergen. Whenever the body comes into contact with the food triggering the allergy, the body releases histamines. These chemicals trigger allergic symptoms.

    Foods that Trigger Allergic Reactions

    • More than 160 foods are known to cause allergic reactions. Peanuts, milk, eggs, fish, tree nuts, wheat, soy, and shellfish account for 90 percent of food allergic reactions.

    How to Determine the Food Allergen

    • Often, the trigger food can be identified by observing the body's reaction to a particular food. Symptoms of food allergies occur within a few minutes to up to an hour after eating and include abdominal cramps, rash, tingling in the mouth, coughing, and swelling of the throat and vocal cords. An allergy specialist can perform skin and/or blood tests to isolate the allergen.

    Food Allergy versus Food Intolerance

    • Food allergies and food intolerance cause similar symptoms in the digestive tract and can easily be confused. In a food allergy, the immune system produces antibodies and histamine in response to the allergen. Severe food allergies can trigger anaphylaxis, which is a life threatening condition. While food intolerance can be very unpleasant, it is rarely dangerous.

    Treating Abdominal Pain caused by Food Allergies

    • Treatment primarily focuses on avoiding the allergen and foods that contain it. Food labels list main ingredients and clearly state whether the product contains milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, or soy. Antihistamines relieve symptoms such as abdominal pain. Those with severe allergies should always carry an epinephrine autoinjector (EpiPen), which should be used in case of a severe reaction.

Allergies - Related Articles