ABSTRACT
Food allergy has been defined as an adverse clinical reaction attributed to the interaction of one or more food proteins with one or more immune mechanisms. The immunoglobulin E (IgE)-associated disorders include immediate hypersensitivity food reactions affecting the skin and gastrointestinal and respiratory tracts, whereas non-IgE disorders predominantly effect the gastrointestinal tract. Allergy to cow’s milk protein, the food allergy studied in most detail, can have diverse clinical manifestations mainly affecting skin and the respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts with eczema, wheezing, and vomiting. The diagnosis of food allergy on clinical grounds can be difficult because of the diversity and nonspecific nature of many of the symptoms and their delayed onset from the time of ingestion. Tertiary prevention is the suppression of symptoms once the diagnosis of food allergy has been established. It is important to realize that there is a broad spectrum of manifestations of food allergy, ranging from trivial and transient skin rashes and intestinal upsets to life-threatening anaphylaxis.
