Most of the time, food allergy is confused with food intolerance, as both cause similar signs and symptoms, but these are different disorders that can be treated differently.
The main difference between allergy and food intolerance is the type of response the body responds to when it comes into contact with food. In case of allergy, an immediate immune response occurs, i.e. the body creates antibodies as if food were an aggressor and therefore symptoms are more prevalent. In case of food intolerance, however, food is not digested correctly and therefore symptoms appear mainly in the gastrointestinal system.
The main symptoms that help differentiate food allergy from food intolerance are:
Urticária e vermelhidão na pele;
Difficult breathing;
Swelling of the face or tongue
Vomiting and diarrhea
Burning sensation in the throat;
Vomiting and diarrhea.
They appear immediately even when a small amount of food is swallowed and skin tests are positive.
The onset can take more than 30 minutes, the more severe the amount of food consumed, and allergy tests done on the skin do not change.
Food intolerance is also much more common than allergy, and can affect anyone, even if there is no family history, while food allergy is often a rarer and more inherited problem, appearing in several members of the same family.
Skin allergy tests are usually performed to diagnose a food allergy, which shows symptoms that appear 24 to 48 hours after a substance is applied to the skin. If there is a reaction at the site, the test is considered positive and may therefore indicate a food allergy. Find out how to identify a food allergy.
In case of food intolerance, skin allergy tests are often negative, so your doctor may order blood and stool tests, as well as ask the person to remove certain foods from the diet to assess if there is an improvement in symptoms.
It is not always possible to identify which foods cause an allergy or food intolerance, as symptoms vary by body of each person. However, in most cases, food allergy is often caused by foods such as shrimp, peanuts, tomatoes, seafood or kiwis.
In case of food intolerance, the main foods are cow’s milk, eggs, strawberries, nuts, spinach and bread. See a more complete list of foods that cause food intolerance.
In both allergy and food intolerance, treatment involves eliminating from the diet all foods that may worsen symptoms. For example, it is important to consult a nutritionist to indicate which foods can be ingested, to replace those that have been removed, to ensure that the body receives all the nutrients necessary for its operation.