Food allergies affect up to 8% of children and 2% of adults in the US. For these people food allergies can affect their ability to thrive and enjoy life. Many of the people that are afflicted with food allergies also must deal with other related conditions some of which can persist even when the allergen has been effectively avoided.

Atopic conditions are perhaps the most common companions of food allergies. Atopic conditions refer to allergic diseases such as dermatitis, asthma, and hay fever, all of which tend to cluster and be a part of the allergic process, which is associated with the production of specific EgE antibodies that are common to environmental allergens. This means that those with food allergies often have environmental allergies too or often skin conditions and asthma may also be present as the direct result of the food allergies. Most of these conditions can be treated with anti-histamines if they are allergy related.

Asthma is a common food allergy symptom; it can also be a condition apart and separate from food allergies and as such aggravate the symptoms of food allergies when they occur. Care has to be taken to differentiate asthma from another more serious type of allergic reaction anaphylaxis as both can cause a difficulty in breathing and can be dangerous, but each is treated with different medications. Doctors normally treat asthma with inhalant medications such as albuterol.

Eosinophil esophagitis is another condition that is connected to food allergies; an allergic inflammatory disease that is caused by high levels of eosinophils in the esophagus, this disease is most often seen with food allergies. Eosinophil esophagitis is treated by avoiding the food that a person is allergic to, or where that may not be possible because of multiple food and environmental allergies a liquid amino acid formula can be given in lieu of protein foods that can relieve symptoms.  Symptoms include reflux, food impaction, nausea and vomiting.