What are the symptoms of food allergy?

Food allergies or food intolerances affect the lives of virtually everyone at some point. People often may have unpleasant reaction to something they ate and wonder if they have a food allergy. The signs and symptoms of food allergy are frequently overlooked by both patient and physician.

Symptoms may involve different organ system like the skin, the gastrointestinal tract, and the airways.

Such signs and symptoms may have multiple possible causes. Because food is ingested into the gastrointestinal tract, GI symptoms should be the first consideration in deciding whether food allergy could be a significant.

The allergic reaction in this part of the body can cause nausea, vomiting, gastric retention, intestinal hypermotility, abdominal pain due to colonic spasms, and diarrhea.

The skin is probably the most frequent target organ in IgE mediated food allergy. Cutaneous symptoms may include pruritus, erythema, urticaria and angioedema.

Respiratory symptoms: itching of eyes, nose, throat; tearing and redness of the eyes; sneezing; nasal obstruction; swelling of throat, shortness of breath; cough.

The most severe food allergy reaction is anaphylaxis - a systemic, life threatening shock can occur minutes after a person eats a food to which they are allergic.
What are the symptoms of food allergy?