If you have a serious food allergy, you'll most likely be prescribed an epinephrine auto-injector. It’s important to always carry two epinephrine auto-injectors. One may not be enough.

Teaching your family and friends how to use an auto-injector is a good idea as it prepares them for any food allergy emergencies. You should explain the method of delivery, as prescribed. This usually involves injecting the thigh with the auto-injector.

You should always seek medical help after using an auto-injector, even if you feel better, as you could experience an additional delayed reaction.

Wearing a medical alert bracelet or carrying an allergy alert card, is a good way of letting people know you have a severe food allergy.

Typical food allergy symptoms usually develop within two hours of eating a food allergen. Though, it can be little as 30 seconds.

However, as always, there’re some very rare exceptions associated with more unusual types of food allergies. In those cases, food allergy symptoms can develop after a longer period of time.

Typical food allergy symptoms usually develop within two hours of eating a food allergen. Though, it can be little as 30 seconds.

However, as always, there’re some very rare exceptions associated with more unusual types of food allergies. In those cases, food allergy symptoms can develop after a longer period of time.

2. Vermeide die Verbreitung allergener Erdnussproteine

• Mache es dir zur Gewohnheit, am Tisch zu essen und einen Teller zu verwenden.
• Reinige Küchenoberflächen, an denen Erdnussrückstände vorhanden sein könnten, mit einem Einwegtuch.
• Dasselbe gilt für Pfannen und Utensilien, wenn du mit Erdnüssen kochst.

3. Und achte darauf, sie nicht versehentlich zu essen

• Teile weder Tassen noch Besteck, da Erdnussproteine im Speichel zurückbleiben können.
• Warne auch dein Date, dass du niemanden küssen kannst, nachdem er oder sie Erdnüsse gegessen hat.
• Lasse dich von den Hunden anderer Menschen nicht ablecken, es sei denn, du weißt sicher, dass ihre Besitzerin oder ihr Besitzer erdnussfreies Haustierfutter und Leckerlis kauft.

So far, this article has focused on symptoms of IgE food allergies, however there are some types of food allergy that don’t involve IgE antibodies.

In non-IgE-mediated food allergies, different cells of the immune system activate and can cause an allergic reaction that can take hours or even days to develop.

People with a non-IgE-mediated food allergy may develop a rash on their skin and gastro-intestinal problems after eating their trigger food.

Gastro-intestinal symptoms include:

• Heartburn
• Indigestion
• Diarrhea
• Vomiting

While people don’t experience anaphylaxis with non-IgE-mediated food allergies, they can develop anaphylactic-like symptoms that are very similar and equally as serious.

One other type of food allergy that can trigger anaphylaxis is an exercise-induced food allergy. This is a rare food allergy that occurs when a person eats a trigger food before exercising.

If someone has mixed IgE and non-IgE-mediated food allergy they can experience symptoms from each type of food allergy.

To diagnose food allergy your doctor can use a combination of tests and sometimes suggest dietary changes.

These tests include:

• A skin prick test: A small drop of liquid that contains the allergen, or a diluted sample of the fresh food, is placed onto the skin – usually the arm. Then the skin underneath is pricked gently. If the skin reacts to the allergen you are sensitized.            
• Blood tests: Another way to detect sensitization to a particular food allergen is to test the blood for IgE antibodies.    

It's important to remember that if you’re sensitized to a particular food it doesn’t necessarily mean you’re allergic to it. You only have food allergy if you experience symptoms.

• A skin prick test: A small drop of liquid that contains the allergen, or a diluted sample of the fresh food, is placed onto the skin – usually the arm. Then the skin underneath is pricked gently. If the skin reacts to the allergen you are sensitized.            
• Blood tests: Another way to detect sensitization to a particular food allergen is to test the blood for IgE antibodies.    

It's important to remember that if you’re sensitized to a particular food it doesn’t necessarily mean you’re allergic to it. You only have food allergy if you experience symptoms.

Keeping a food diary is a useful way to record how you feel after eating different types of foods and will help your doctor diagnose the cause of your symptoms. They’ll likely also want to find out more about your medical history, so if possible make a note of any food allergies that run in your family.

When testing is inconclusive, your doctor may try other approaches to find out what is making you feel unwell.

For example, they may suggest an elimination diet. During an elimination diet, the suspected trigger food is removed and slowly reintroduced. This is typically used to detect intolerances. However, to diagnose lactose intolerance they would typically use breath and blood tests instead.

Non-IgE-mediated allergies are harder to diagnose. Here, your doctor may suggest an oral food challenge. In an oral food challenge you’ll eat small amounts of the problem food, which gradually increase until you experience a mild reaction. If symptoms develop, you’re possibly allergic to that food.

Depending on your medical history they may also want to look at your digestive tract with a camera. This procedure is called an endoscopy.

They’ll likely also want to find out more about your medical history, so if possible make a note of any food allergies that run in your family.

When testing is inconclusive, your doctor may try other approaches to find out what is making you feel unwell.

For example, they may suggest an elimination diet. During an elimination diet, the suspected trigger food is removed and slowly reintroduced. This is typically used to detect intolerances. However, to diagnose lactose intolerance they would typically use breath and blood tests instead.

Non-IgE-mediated allergies are harder to diagnose. Here, your doctor may suggest an oral food challenge. In an oral food challenge you’ll eat small amounts of the problem food, which gradually increase until you experience a mild reaction. If symptoms develop, you’re possibly allergic to that food.

Depending on your medical history they may also want to look at your digestive tract with a camera. This procedure is called an endoscopy.

Keeping a food diary is a useful way to record how you feel after eating different types of foods and will help your doctor diagnose the cause of your symptoms. They’ll likely also want to find out more about your medical history, so if possible make a note of any food allergies that run in your family.

When testing is inconclusive, your doctor may try other approaches to find out what is making you feel unwell.

For example, they may suggest an elimination diet. During an elimination diet, the suspected trigger food is removed and slowly reintroduced. This is typically used to detect intolerances. However, to diagnose lactose intolerance they would typically use breath and blood tests instead.

Non-IgE-mediated allergies are harder to diagnose. Here, your doctor may suggest an oral food challenge. In an oral food challenge you’ll eat small amounts of the problem food, which gradually increase until you experience a mild reaction. If symptoms develop, you’re possibly allergic to that food.

Depending on your medical history they may also want to look at your digestive tract with a camera. This procedure is called an endoscopy.

After several consultations and tests, you may have reached the point where food allergies can’t explain your symptoms. Instead, you may have food intolerance.  

Food intolerance symptoms tend to range from mild to moderate and take longer to develop than food allergy symptoms. Some people can even eat a small amount of food they’re intolerant to, unlike food allergy where the slightest morsel can trigger a range of symptoms.

To confirm food intolerance a doctor may recommend an elimination diet or a breath or blood test.