What is a food allergy?
A true food allergy is an immune system reaction to a specific food protein — most often milk, egg, peanut, tree nuts, wheat, soy, fish or shellfish in children. It is different from food intolerance (such as lactose intolerance), which does not involve the immune system and is not detected by allergy testing.
Common symptoms
- Skin: hives, swelling, itching, worsening of eczema
- Gut: vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhoea
- Respiratory: cough, wheeze, nasal symptoms
- Severe: throat tightness, difficulty breathing, drop in blood pressure — anaphylaxis, a medical emergency
Why self-reported triggers can mislead
Parents often suspect the wrong food based on timing coincidence, or miss a true trigger that only occasionally causes visible symptoms. This is exactly why objective testing — detailed history plus skin prick testing, and oral food challenge where indicated — is central to accurate diagnosis, rather than broad elimination diets that can cause unnecessary nutritional restriction in growing children.
Diagnosis
A structured allergy-focused history is combined with skin prick testing to the suspected and commonly relevant foods. In selected cases, a supervised oral food challenge confirms or rules out the diagnosis definitively.
Treatment & management
- Confirmed trigger avoidance, guided by a dietitian where multiple foods are involved, to protect nutrition and growth
- A written emergency action plan for families, including antihistamine and, where prescribed, adrenaline auto-injector use
- Label-reading education for parents and caregivers, schools and family members
- Periodic reassessment, since many childhood food allergies (like milk and egg) are outgrown over time
Talk to Dr. Narwani: If your child's symptoms are affecting sleep, school, play or growth, or you suspect a specific trigger, book a consultation for proper allergy work-up rather than guessing at home remedies.