What is food allergy and what are the most common trigger foods?

Food allergy is an exaggerated immune reaction to a food protein — the immune system treats it as an enemy, releasing histamine and chemicals.

Top 8 Allergy-Causing Foods (90% of cases):

1. Milk and dairy: Most common childhood allergy — most outgrow it by age 5.
2. Eggs: Second most common — usually to egg white.
3. Peanuts: Serious and usually lifelong.
4. Tree nuts: Walnuts, almonds, cashews — may cause anaphylaxis.
5. Wheat: Different from celiac disease — here it's an immediate immune reaction.
6. Soy: Common in infants — most improve.
7. Fish: Especially in adults.
8. Shellfish: Shrimp, crab — usually lifelong.

Symptoms:

• Mild: Mouth itching, rash, diarrhea.
• Moderate: Facial swelling, vomiting, shortness of breath.
• Severe (Anaphylaxis): Blood pressure drop, fainting, throat swelling — life-threatening, needs epinephrine injection immediately.

At BEIT TARIQ Center, we test food allergies with specialized IgE blood tests.