Symptoms of food allergies Symptoms of food allergies Allergies happen when the body has an abnormal reaction of its immune system to what is normally a harmless substance. There are about one in four of all Americans that suffer from some type of allergies.
Food allergies make up only a small part of that number.
Allergies actually develop in stages. When a person first encounters the substance that it is allergic to there is most often not a reaction. The body wards to fight this off. When the body is exposed again, symptoms will be produced. The more the body is exposed to the allergen, the more likely a reaction will occur.