Allergic reactions – what happens?

In most cases, symptoms are mild or moderate and can be controlled using antihistamines. However, in a few cases, symptoms can become very dangerous very quickly and immediate emergency treatment is required. Many food allergic people also have asthma, which can be triggered or worsened by a reaction to a food.

Early symptoms may include tingling and swelling of the face, mouth and throat, itching and a red rash. Breathing and swallowing may become difficult as the throat and airways close up and oxygen cannot reach the lungs, the circulation may start to fail and the heart may then stop. These severe symptoms together are called anaphylaxis. In some cases, life-threatening symptoms can occur within minutes of eating the food.

There are about 10 recognised deaths from food allergy in the UK every year. In addition, 1,500 people die from asthma each year. Some of these cases may occur as a direct reaction to a food.