Food Allergies

A food allergy happens when your immune system mistakenly treats a normally harmless food (such as, but not limited to, peanut, tree nut, milk, shellfish, or fish) as a threat. When you eat that food, a reaction can occur within minutes to a couple of hours. Symptoms may include hives, itching, swelling of the lips or throat, stomach upset, vomiting, trouble breathing, or in severe cases - anaphylaxis. A food allergy is different from a food intolerance. A food allergy is confirmed by gathering a history and having allergy testing done if appropriate.