Who is affected by food allergies?

While up to 15% of people in the United States believe they have food allergies, only 6% to 8% of children and 1.5% to 2% of adults actually do.

Many people mistake food intolerances for food allergies because often both conditions have the same symptoms. For example, when people with lactose intolerance ingest dairy products, they experience stomach pain, gas, and diarrhea, symptoms similar to those of some food allergies.

About 85% of children outgrow allergies to milk, wheat, eggs, and soy between the ages of 3 and 5. Children rarely outgrow an allergy to peanuts or fish. Adults rarely lose food allergies.

food allergies often occur in people who have a family history of asthma, atopic dermatitis, or allergies to pollen, mold, or other substances.

Citations

1. Burks AW (2006). food allergies. In DC Dale, DD Federman, eds., ACP Medicine, section 6, chap. 16. New York: WebMD.

2. Sicherer SH (2002). food allergy. Lancet, 360(9334): 701-710.