Food Sensitivity or Food Allergy? 4 Differences to Recognize

When some food or beverage seems to make you acutely ill every time you consume it, you might assume that you have an allergy to a specific ingredient or food category. However, many unpleasant reactions actually stem from food sensitivity or intolerance, a problem that can produce different symptoms and call for different treatment.

The more you understand about the key differences between food allergies and food sensitivities, the more easily you can recognize the nature of your own ailment and pursue the most effective medical or home-based remedies. Pay attention to the following four major differences between these two uncomfortable problems.

1. Physical Processes

One of the most critical differences between a food allergy and a food sensitivity lies in the underlying chemistry behind your discomfort. In an allergy, the immune system mistakes a harmless food or food ingredient as an invading germ. It then releases antibodies to fight the substance, along with histamines to help flush it out.

By contrast, a food intolerance occurs when your digestive system simply can't produce the necessary enzymes to break up and digest certain substances completely, if at all. Underlying health conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome, chronic stress, and celiac disease can also make you intolerant of certain foods.

2. Specific Food Triggers

Food allergies and food sensitivities don't always involve the same kinds of foods, although a good deal of overlap can occur between these two issues. Food sensitivities typically involve dairy products (lactose intolerance) or grains and foods that contain gluten. You can even suffer from sensitivity to naturally occurring histamine in foods.

90 percent of all food allergies revolve around just eight types of foods. These foods include shellfish, milk, wheat, soybeans, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, and eggs. Bear in mind that even if you avoid these specific foods, other foods processed in areas exposed to these ingredients may still contain traces of allergens.

3. Types and Severity of Symptoms

Food sensitivities usually result in digestive symptoms such as gas, bloating, abdominal cramps, and irregular bowel movements such as constipation or diarrhea. These symptoms may occur only when consuming too much of the offending food in question, with smaller servings producing few or no symptoms.

Allergic reactions usually occur immediately on exposure to any amount of the allergen-containing product. Even the tiniest amounts of an allergen can cause a significant reaction. The symptoms may involve digestive trouble, but they also include skin irritation, dizziness, and respiratory problems.

Food sensitivities rarely pose a grave threat unless repeated bouts of diarrhea lead to severe dehydration, weight loss, or malnutrition. By contrast, a food allergy can produce a medical emergency called anaphylactic shock , with symptoms including low blood pressure, nausea, and severe swelling of the airway.

4. Diagnosis

Like any other kind of allergy, a food allergy can become evident through diagnostic testing. In a skin prick test, the allergy specialist exposes different parts of the skin to small amounts of specific food allergens. If hives come up in one or more of those areas, you probably have an allergy to that food.

Blood testing can help the allergy specialist confirm the results of a positive skin reaction, although neither test can offer 100-percent certainty. This kind of testing identifies and measures the presence of specific antibodies in response to different foods.

Diagnosis of a food sensitivity may require a specialist in digestive disorders to administer an elimination diet. In this kind of diet, the substitute of one suspected food for another can pinpoint the foods that cause trouble for you. You can then make a point of avoiding that food or taking enzymes that help you digest it.

If you suspect that you have an allergy to some kind of food or food additive, bring your problem to Allergy and Asthma Clinic of Fort Worth. We can perform all the necessary tests to get to the truth and then administer any allergy treatment you may require. Contact our office today.