What is the difference between food allergy and intolerance?

At some point you will probably come across someone who is intolerant lactose and can experience unpleasant signs of intestines if they have dairy. Maybe you – it is estimated that food intolerances up to 25% Australians.

Meanwhile, cow’s milk allergy is one of the most common food allergies in infants and newborn children, touching one in 100 babies.

But what is the difference between food allergy and food intolerance? Although they may seem similar, there are some basic differences between them.

What is an allergy?

Australia has one of the highest food allergies in the world. Food allergies can develop at any age, but they occur more often in children, touching more than 10% homogeneous AND 6% of children At the age of ten.

Food allergy happens when the body immune system He mistakenly reacts to some foods, as if they were threatening. . The most common food products which trigger allergies include eggs, peanuts and other nuts, milk, shellfishFish, soy and wheat.

Bland or moderate signs of food allergy include swollen face, lips or eyes; urticaria or welt on the skin; or vomiting. AND Severe allergic reaction (called anaphylaxis) can cause breathable problems, persistent dizziness or collapse.

What is intolerance?

Food intolerances (Sometimes called non -allergic reactions) are also reactions to food, but they do not include the immune system.

For example, lactose intolerance is a metabolic state that happens when the body does not produce enough lactase. This enzyme is needed to break the lactose (type of sugar) in dairy products.

Food intolerances can also include reactions to natural food chemicals (such as salicylicFound in some fruits, vegetables, herbs and spices) and problems with artificial preservatives or flavor amplifiers.

Symptoms Food intolerances It may include, among others, stomach disorder, headaches and fatigue.

Food intolerances do not cause life -threatening reactions (anaphylaxis), so they are less threatening than allergies in a low period, although they can cause problems in the long run such as malnutrition.

We do not know much about how common food intolerances are, but they seem to be more often reported than allergies. They can develop at any age.

May be misleading

Some dishes such as peanuts and wooden nutsThey are more often associated with allergies. Other foods or ingredients such as caffeine are more often associated with intolerance.

Meanwhile, some foods, such as cow’s milk and wheat or gluten (protein found in wheat, nutrition and barley), can cause allergic and non -allergic reactions in different people. But these reactions, even if they are caused by the same foods, are completely different.

For example, children with cow’s milk allergies can react to very petite amounts of milk, and grave reactions (such as throat swelling or difficulty breathing) can occur within a few minutes. And vice versa, many people with lactose intolerance can tolerate petite amounts of lactose no symptoms.

There are also other differences. Cow’s milk allergy is more common in children, although there will be many infants grow this allergy in childhood.

Lactose intolerance is more common in adultsBut sometimes it can be transient. One type of lactose intolerance, Secondary lactase deficiencyIt can be caused by intestinal damage after infection or the operate of drugs (such as antibiotics or cancer treatment). This may disappear when the underlying condition disappears or the person stops using the right medicine.

Whether an allergy or intolerance will probably be throughout life depends on the food and the reason why the child or adult reacts to it.

Allergies for some foods, such as milk, egg, wheat and soy, often solve in childhood, while allergies to nuts, fish or crustaceans, often (but not always) take adulthood. We don’t know much about how likely children from different types of food intolerance are.

How do you find out what is wrong?

If you think you can have Food allergy or intoleranceSee the doctor.

Allergy tests Support doctors find out which food can cause allergic reactions (but they cannot diagnose food intolerances). There are two typical types: skin tests and blood tests.

In the skin test, doctors put petite amounts of allergens on the skin (things that can cause allergies) and do petite dicks to see if your body reacts.

The blood test checks the allergen -specific Immunoglobulin E (IGE) antibodies in the blood, which show whether you can be allergic to specific food.

Food intolerances can be tough to understand because the symptoms depend on food and how much. To diagnose them, doctors look at their health history and can do it Some tests (such as breathing test). They can ask you to keep food records that you eat and have a time of symptoms.

A transient elimination diet in which you stop eating some foods can also facilitate in determining which food you can be intolerant. But this should only be done with the facilitate of a doctor or dietitian, because it can lead to the elimination of specific foods nutritional deficienciesEspecially in children.

Is there a medicine?

There is currently no cure for food allergies or intolerances. In particular, in the case of allergies, it is essential to strictly avoid allergens. This means to carefully read food labels and vigilance while eating outside the home.

However, scientists examine treatment called Oral immunotherapyWhich can facilitate some people with food allergy become less sensitive to some foods.

Regardless of whether you are allergic to food or intolerance, a doctor or dietitian can facilitate you make sure you eat the right food.

Victoria Gibson, a higher scientific degree of a student and an official for research at the School of Nursing, obstetrics and social work at the University of Queensland and Rani Scott-Farmer, senior research assistant at the University of Queensland, contributed to this article.