Sensitivity or intolerance to foods such as shellfish and milk are common and can cause significant cause for concern, but there is a difference between those symptoms and a true food allergy.
During Food Allergy Awareness Week, National Jewish Health—the leading respiratory hospital in the nation, based in Denver, Colorado—is highlighting the differences between food sensitivities and food allergies.
A food allergy is an immune-system reaction that affects more than one organ in the body, whereas, food intolerance is usually limited to digestive issues.
“There are about eight foods that cause about 90 percent of all allergic reactions, and those are cow’s milk, egg, tree nuts, peanuts, fish, shellfish, wheat and soy,” says Dr. Kanao Otsu, an allergist and immunologist at National Jewish Health. For people with food allergies, avoidance is key.
For more details about food allergies, download this infographic or visit National Jewish Health’s website.
Source: National Jewish Hospital
