Allergy & Immunology

Food Allergy

Food allergy is caused when the body falsely makes an antibody (IgE) to fight against a specific food. When the food is next (or sometimes is just in contact with the skin) it provokes an immune system response which results in the commute of histamine and other substances in the body. These cause various symptoms, depending on where in the body they are exposed. For example, in the gut they may result in abdominal pain, vomiting and diarrhoea; in the skin, itching and swelling (rash or nettle rash), in the upper airways, a runny nose or sneezing; in the lower airways, a wheeze or cough.