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Food allergies and intolerances can produce a wide range of symptoms that could make it very hard for you to pin point the exact food that you are reacting to.

Here we explain the different types of symptoms that can be produced depending on the type of allergic reaction you are having to that food. Hopefully this helps narrow it down for you, so that you can figure out what food is making you feel so sick.

How are allergic symptoms produced?

Allergic symptoms are produced when your immune system identifies a food as harmful. This is an abnormal response to food, once your immune system has identified it as a foregin invader a number of weapons are produced to destroy the food allergen.

Such ‘weapons’ that your immune system releases includes a substance called histamine. This substance along with others initiates a variety of frustrating body reactions such as stomach cramps, itchy skin, fatigue or in other words – allergy symptoms. Sometimes these symptoms can occur straight away, or they may happen 24 hours later or even a couple of days later. The length of time it takes for your body to produce symptoms is all determined by the type of immune response.

Food allergies can be placed into two categories:

• Hypersensitivity Food Allergy
• Food Sensitivity

Food can also make you feel really sick if you have a food intolerance, which means you lack the enzymes needed to digest that particular food. There are a few different food intolerances that can occur, so take a look at the characteristic symptoms that may happen with each food so you can narrow down what food is making you ill.

Hypersensitivity Food Allergy (Anaphylaxis)

The hypersensitivity food allergy or ‘Anaphylaxis’ can be life threatening as the following symptoms begin to occur:

• Sudden itching of the eyes and face
• Face swelling
• Throat tightness, swallowing discomfort and breathing difficulty
• Chest tightness and or wheezing
• Hives
• Drowsiness
• Mental confusion and dizziness
• Diarrhoea
• Vomiting

If you have this type of immmune reaction to a food allergy your immune system will react immediately, creating these symptoms soon after you eat the food culprit. Another name for this reaction is called Anaphylaxis (an-uh-fuh-LAK-sis) which involves an antibody called IgE and is what is measured and tested in blood tests to find out the exact food allergy you are reacting to.

The main foods that have been found to commonly cause this type of food allergy in adults include:

• Peanuts
• Shellfish
• Eggs
• Fish
• Tree nuts (hazelnut, almonds, brazil, macadamia, cashews etc)

The most common food triggers of anaphylaxis in children are:

• Milk
• Eggs
• Soy
• Sesame
• Peanuts
• Tree nuts

Even though these foods are considered the most common, hypersensitivity food allergy reactions can still occur in almost any food even foods such as strawberries, tomatoes, and coconut.

So if you ever experience these symptoms after any food please phone for emergency immediately.

Food Sensitivity

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This type of food allergy can be very hard to pin point as the symptoms can be delayed for up to a few days later.

Some people may be more sensitive to a food than others and may get a reaction a few hours later.

So even if this can be almost an immediate reaction it still varies from a hypersensitive allergy reaction as a different antibody is involved called an IgG antibody and the symptoms differ greatly.

Common symptoms that occur in response to food sensitivities include but are not limited to:

• Sinus congestion
• Stomach cramping
• Bloating
• IBS
• Skin rashes such as eczema or hives
• Itchy Skin
• Fatigue
• Foggy head
• Asthma
• Joint pain

Common food sensitivities are egg, dairy products, wheat products, seafood, corn, soy and nuts.

Food Intolerance

Food intolerance is not like a food allergy or food sensitivity that is caused from an immune reaction. Instead it is when your body is not capable of digesting a food that is considered nutritious for your body. This occurs because your body does not have the right tools (enzymes) to break down that particular food.

The two main food intolerances are:

• Lactose Intolerance (Carbohydrate)
• Gluten Intolerance (Protein)
• Fat Intolerance

Lactose Intolerance

Lactose is a sugar molecule found solely in dairy products. It is caused from the inability to digest lactose in the small intestine due to poor lactase (enzyme) production needed to do so. Lactose intolerance occurs very highly in Asian, Middle Eastern, Southern European, African and Aboriginal groups. Those with European backgrounds tend to have a less likely occurrence of lactose intolerance.

The lactose content of each dairy food varies widely, however the main foods to have the greatest amount are:

Food	Serve	Lactose	Calcium (mg)
Milk – Regular	1 cup/250ml	12	285
Milk – Reduced Fat	1 cup/250ml	13	340
Yoghurt – Regular	200gm	9	340
Yoghurt – Low Fat	200gm	12	420
Cheese – Cheddar	30gm	.02	260
Cheese – Creamed Cottage	30gm	.01	22
Butter	1 tsp	.03	1
Ice Cream	2 scoops	3	55

By looking at the above table, you can see that milk and yoghurt contain the highest amounts of lactose per serve. Depending on the severity of your lactose intolerance will determine how much lactose you can have without causing any unpleasant symptoms. Many lactose intolerance individuals are able to eat cheese without any adverse effects.

Common symptoms associated with lactose intolerance include:

• Bloating
• Diarrhoea
• Stomach pain and discomfort
• Alternating constipation and diarrhoea
• IBS like symptoms

If you would like to learn how to avoid dairy without avoiding the taste, please click here.

Carbohydrate Intolerances

Other rare carbohydrate intolerances that may occur are; Glucose intolerance, starch intolerance, fructose intolerance, and sucrose intolerance. These are all different types of sugars and carbohydrates that occur because your body is not producing the right enzymes to digest them.

The symptoms produced by these different carbohydrate intolerances can be very similar to lactose intolerance. Bloating and gas production are usually the most outstanding symptoms associated with a carbohydrate intolerance, occuring within an hour after the ingestion of the offending food.

Gluten Intolerance

Gluten intolerance also known as Celiacs disease is caused from your body being sensitive to the protein, gluten found in wheat, rye, oats and barley.. The immune system of a Celiac person will see gluten as harmful, overtime leading to inflammation and damage in the small intestine. This damage in the small intestine can greatly reduce your ability to absorb nutrients as the immune system damages the structure of the small intestine needed to do so.

Symptoms may not always be present in gluten intolerance, but damage to the small intestine may still continue. If symptoms are present in gluten intolerance the following symptoms could be experienced:

• Weight loss or weight gain
• Nutritional deficiencies e.g. low iron levels
• Gastro-intestinal problems (gas, bloating, constipation, diarrhoea)
• Fat in the stools (poor digestion)
• Eczema
• Exhaustion
• Headaches
• Irritability
• Arthritis
• Eczema

To learn more about gluten free grains feel free to visit our article on 6 Gluten Free Grains You Can’t Live Without.

Fat Intolerance

Fat intolerance occurs when your body can not digest the fats in food properly, causing poor absorption of fats resulting in the following symptoms:

• Diarrhoea
• Wind
• Bowel movements called Steatorrhoea (stee-at-OR-rea) that are frothy and smell foul

Fat intolerance usually presents in people who have diseases such as Celiac disease, cystic fibrosis, liver and gall bladder disease, diabetes and pancreas problems. Or it can be found in those of you with poor liver function. Find out how to relieve your fat intolerance symptoms naturally by clicking here.

The symptoms can be very broad and can often get confused with other food allergy symptoms. Diagnosing yourself solely on these symptoms should be avoided. If Celiacs disease runs in your family or you feel very sick from eating gluten containing foods, then it may be a good idea to go to the Doctor to get tested.

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5 Comment for Common Food Allergy Symptoms

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1. robyn November 12, 2009 5:28 am

2. 

   hi, i have been gluten free for 4 weeks now and am feeling amazing. i have been treated for depression and mood disorder for over 10 years. i was also diagnosed 5 months ago with Idiopathic hypersomnolence which means excessive daytime sleepiness of unknown origin which my specialist prescribed 3 modavigil tablets per day at a cost of $80 per week… not prepared to either spend that amount of money on drugs or even to taking another drug i decided to try gluten free again. a gp suggested it about 4 years ago to which i had great results, but over the years i have not been strict enough.
   it just boggles the mind to understand how much gluten and other foods can affect a person.. my life was horrible, always in bed, not able to work, struggling to look after my 3 children.. now i havent slept in the day for over 4 weeks, not angry or depressed, i have been painting, baking and about to start family day care.. it’s life changing and i wish that everyone had this knowledge to just give it a try..
   cheers robyn

3. chloemo November 12, 2009 5:18 pm

4. 

   Hey Robyn,
   I’m so glad you have finally been able to experience relief from all of those terrible symptoms you were having. Food allergies and food intolerance symptoms can vary so widely from each person that diagnosis can be very difficult. Which in your scenario it was clearly the case!

   Gluten intolerance is becoming more and more prevalent with 1 in 50 Australians now being diagnosed.

   Your story will really open up peoples eyes to the possibility of food allergies causing symptoms that you would least expect, which will allow people to seek faster relief.

   Thanks for sharing! Chloe

5. Food Intolerance and Food Sensitivity - Which One Do You Have? | Live Allergy Free July 21, 2010 7:22 am

6. 

   [...] have written more information in another article, Common Food Allergy Symptoms if you would like further information on the differences between a true food allergy as [...]

7. Ingrid February 11, 2011 1:38 am

8. 

   But then there are other things… like how I’m lactose intolerant, but I can’t have lactose-free dairy, it makes my tonsils explode. This means casein is to blame too. Why isn’t this commonly mentioned also?

   I’m on the wait list to get my tonsils out. I really, really don’t want them removed because I believe the only reason they’re now permanently swollen and sick is because they’re trying to tell me something. I’m afraid I won’t find out in time before the surgeon’s knife comes looming.
   I cannot bear the thought of losing my tonsils and having bad effects, but I can’t keep having my tonsils like this.
   I’m fully dairy free now. I went gluten-free for a month but it only helped a little.
   What else should I try going off to see my tonsils shrink?!

9. Chloe Orford February 12, 2011 3:07 am

10. 

    Hey Ingrid! I can definitely relate to you, when i was a child I had tonsilitis quite regularly which was also induced by a dairy sensitivity (which i didn’t know back then). Unfortunately I had to get my tonsils removed at 15, because i ended up with a quinsy which was interupting the air way. If only I had known what i knew now! Tonsils are extremely important as they are apart of our immune system/lymphatic system. Ideally supporting your body with herbs that are immune enhancing and can support your lymphatic system such as echinacea will be beneficial. Vitamin C and Zinc are also specific nutrients for proper immune function and reducing bacterial infections from occurring. If you are after further advice with more specific treatment strategies then Naturopathic consultations with me are always available. For more information just go to the tab ‘Naturopathic Consultations’ above.

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