For most food allergies the most important treatment is the avoidance of ingestion and even contact with the allergen. For some allergies this can be very difficult, particularly if the allergy is severe and does not require ingestion to trigger it. For those people walking down the aisle of the supermarket or sitting in their school cafeteria can be risky business. Either way the time will come where the allergic person will come in contact with the food they are allergic to and will need to be treated.

Treating the symptoms of allergies will largely depend on how severe allergy is. Understanding the severity of the reaction is key to understanding how to treat it. For some a reaction will be fairly mild, hives, itching and swelling around the mouth, nausea, and runny nose are all common allergic reactions. While they may be initially frightening in and of themselves they are not a medical emergency. For such reactions as this doctors usually recommend an over the counter antihistamine, which will relieve the majority of symptoms including gastrointestinal symptoms such as stomach cramps and nausea.

If a food allergy reaction includes wheezing or asthma a doctor may prescribe a bronchodilator that contains an asthma medication that will help open up air ways and help the person breath. It is important to distinguish between asthma symptoms and anaphylaxis however because both cause breathing difficulties. Anaphylaxis is a severe allergic reaction that requires the administration of epinephrine to stop. This is the final medication that your doctor may prescribe and it is one that should only be used if an anaphylactic reaction is suspected.

You can tell if someone is having an anaphylactic reaction rather than asthma because in addition to a difficulty in breathing there will be swelling and tightness in the face, lips and throat, hoarseness, and other allergic symptoms such as hives, vomiting and nausea. If you do administer epinephrine this should be followed up with an immediate trip the emergency room since it is common in anaphylactic reactions for there to be a second wave of symptoms that will require medical treatment.