Food allergies affect between 6 -8% of American Children, and up to 2% of adults. Allergies are a result of a malfunctioning immune system that perceives a food as being a threat to the body. The immune system then releases histamines in the effort to remove this perceived threat from the body. Allergies can range from a mild annoyance to severe and life altering for the children who have them and their families.

Symptoms can be divided into 3 separate systems of the body, the skin, the gastrointestinal system and the respiratory system. Symptoms will appear from minutes to hours after ingestion. In severe cases of food allergies such as a peanut allergy, ingestion does not need to occur for it to set off the allergic reaction. Skin contact or even dust in the area from the cracking of a peanut shell can set off allergies for these people.

Skin symptoms can either be immediate symptoms or chronic symptoms of a compromised immune system. Acute symptoms include tingling around the mouth and throat, swelling of the lips or face, itchy skin with or without a rash, and hives.  Eczema is a chronic symptom that can accompany food allergies and can persist even when the food has not been ingested.

Respiratory symptoms include difficulty breathing, dizziness, runny nose or coughing. Asthma is another chronic symptom that, like eczema, can persist even when there is no contact with the offending food. Digestive symptoms are Nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps and diarrhea.

Severe allergies can bring on rapid heartbeat, increased difficulty in breathing, wheezing, a sudden drop in blood pressure and possibly fainting. This is referred to as anaphylaxis the extreme end of food allergies although death is rare from this sort of allergic reaction it is not unheard of, so it is important that someone that is experiencing a reaction of this type get immediate medical attention.