“I have food allergy.Will this allergy persist for the rest of my life?”
I am a 26 year old and I have been suffering from severe food allergy that aggrevates due to certain food ingredients. I am having this issue since my childhood but I was told that allergies tend to subside with time. When will my allergy settle or will it persist for the remaining part of my life?
4 Answers
Partially depends on the food. Some foods like tree nuts only resolve in 6% of people. Other foods like milk and eggs resolve in the majority of people. You should never test this yourself. You should consult a board certified allergist and get tested. If negative then an oral challenge to the food in the allergists office might be recommended. Never try this yourself.
In some cases, a food allergy can subside. Be evaluated by your local Allergist.
Talal M. Nsouli, M.D., FACIP, FACAAI, FAAAAI
Talal M. Nsouli, M.D., FACIP, FACAAI, FAAAAI
It is possible that your allergy could persist for the rest of your life; the response to foods is very individual. There are certain food allergies, such as milk, egg, wheat, and soybean, that 80% of people outgrow, but for up to 20% of people, it could be a lifelong problem. Other foods, such as shellfish and nuts are only outgrown in approximately 20% of individuals. The research is focusing on desensitizing patients to food allergies that are not commonly outgrown. Most of the studies are focusing on a peanut allergy. I'm hoping we'll have good options for the general public in the next year or two.
Some food allergies can improve over time. It is important to be evaluated by a board certified allergist to first identify what foods you are allergic to and then carefully review your history to see what time of reactions you have experienced. Based on the history and test results sometimes an in office challenge is recommended to certain foods to rule out an allergic problem.
