Food allergy symptoms are more common in infants and children, but can occur at any age. You can even develop an allergy to foods you've been eating for years with no problem. Food allergies can cause sinus problems. In other words, sinus problems are common symptoms of food allergies.
The paranasal sinuses are the cavities in your head that lie just behind your nose and eyes, and they help filter unwanted particles from the air you inhale. The paranasal sinuses are made of soft, sensitive tissue and are lined with mucous membranes, which keep the tissue moist and soft. When food allergies occur, the paranasal sinuses become inflamed due to higher levels of histamine. Food intolerance is a chemical reaction that some people have after eating or drinking certain foods; it's not an immune response.
Food intolerance has been associated with asthma, chronic fatigue syndrome and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). It can be difficult to differentiate between the symptoms of food allergy and those of food intolerance. Symptoms caused by food allergy usually appear soon after consuming the food. While symptoms caused by food intolerance can be immediate, they can also take 12 to 24 hours to appear.
Food intolerance reactions are usually related to the amount of food consumed. They may not occur until a certain amount (threshold level) of food is eaten, but this amount varies from person to person. Symptoms of food allergy and intolerance may also be due to other conditions, so it's important to see your doctor for a medical diagnosis. Some research suggests that younger siblings of a child with a peanut allergy will also be allergic to peanuts.
There are many people who label themselves as “allergic to gluten” and, unfortunately, limit their diet without having seen a specialist. Sometimes, the body can tolerate food if it avoids it for a while and then reintroduces it in small doses, especially in case of food intolerances. Current research is looking for ways to reduce sensitivity to food allergies, and there is much hope of finding therapies that can control food allergies in the future. The customer service department or quality control officer should be able to help you determine if food is safe for you.
Sometimes an adult may overlook an allergic reaction to a food, as symptoms such as vomiting or diarrhea can be mistaken for the flu or food poisoning. Sometimes, substances contained in food can increase the frequency and severity of migraines, skin rashes (such as hives), or stomach discomfort caused by irritable bowel disease. In general, the allergist should expose the blood to proteins contained in foods that cause food allergies more often. When you're allergic to a food, your body's immune system can mistake the proteins in that food for dangerous substances.
Knowing the patterns of cross-reactivity and what to avoid is one reason why people with food allergies should receive care from a board-certified allergist. Just because an initial reaction causes few problems doesn't mean that all reactions are similar; a food that only triggers mild symptoms on one occasion may cause more serious symptoms another time. It occurs mainly in young babies who are being exposed to these foods for the first time or who are being weaned. Adults don't always pay much attention to symptoms, which can be dangerous, as they can overlook some important advice and endanger the adult if they continue to consume those foods.
In some cases, the allergist will recommend an oral diet, which is considered the most accurate way to make a food allergy diagnosis. Children who have a family member with allergic conditions (such as asthma or eczema) are at greater risk of developing allergies.
