Prescription antihistamines, nasal steroid sprays and allergy shots can reduce or eliminate your symptoms. People with food allergies have immune systems that react to harmless substances found in food and drink. These substances are called allergens. When people have an allergy, there are antibodies to the allergens in their blood and throughout their body. When that person eats a food to which they are allergic, the food allergens react to antibodies on cells releasing chemicals.
Any food can cause an allergic reaction, but only eight foods cause nine out of ten reactions.
In infants and young children milk, soy, eggs, wheat, peanuts, tree nuts, fish and shellfish are most common, while adults are more likely to be allergic to peanuts, tree nuts and shellfish. If you suspect your baby is allergic to any food, your best approach is to discuss his or her symptoms with your pediatrician. Keep a log of what foods cause a reaction in your child and how soon symptoms appear. If you and your spouse have allergies, your child has about a 75 percent chance of having allergies. If one of you is allergic, or if relatives on one side of your family have allergies, then your child has about a 50 percent chance of developing them.