Symptoms of food allergy may vary from person to person and can even vary in the same individual at different occurrences .Allergic reactions to food vary in severity and in the time of occurrence because it may be affected by factors like the time when the food was eaten and also the quantity of food that was taken. In some instances food allergy symptoms may occur within a few minutes after eating the allergy prone food while in some other cases it may take several hours. Actually the occurrence depends on the process of digestion .Another thing that sometimes plays a role in initiating food allergy is exercise.

Again the severity and impact of food allergy symptoms significantly differ from individual to individual. For some people an allergic reaction to a particular food or drink may cause discomfort and the patient may experience some skin trouble or stomach problem for a little while. But nothing serious happens and it does not cast a long spell. While for some other people allergic reaction to certain food can be vey dangerous and painful and the reactions can even develop into a life threatening situation if they are not properly treated at the right moment.

Symptoms of food allergy depend on the type or extent of the allergic reaction in a person. The symptoms depend on where in the body histamine is released. Accordingly the symptoms first surface in that portion of the body.

Allergic reaction to food generally affects skin, intestine and the respiratory apparatus of human body.

Skin Reactions: In most cases It is seen that at the onset food allergy symptoms appear in the form of skin problems .The most frequent skin problems associated with food allergy are:

• Itching and rashes in different parts of the body
• Hives
• Redness and flushing
• Swallowing of lips and mouth

Intestinal Reactions : Food allergy in many cases is accompanied by intestinal problems such as:

• Abdominal pain and bloating
• Vomiting
• Diarrhoea
• Gas
• Nausea

Respiratory Problems: A person when affected by food allergy may experience respiratory problems like:

• Sneezing
• Coughing
• Watery eyes and running nose
• Shortness of breath and nasal congestion

The food allergy symptoms listed above, in a majority of occurrences, do not last for long. They vanish after a short spell. However in some cases the symptoms of food allergy are not restricted to these problems alone. Instead in some individuals food allergy can cause Anaphylaxis. It is a life threatening condition which involves almost the entire body. In fact, Anaphylaxis may attack several parts of the body at the same time affecting skin,intestine ,the respiratory system as well as the cardiovascular system. The symptoms of this extreme and serious kind of food allergy include:

• Swallowing of lips,mouth throat and other airways leading to the lungs resulting in the patient’s inability to breathe.
• Sudden drop in body’s blood pressure level
• Dizziness
• Loss of consciousness

Anaphylaxis attacks can be very sudden and may occur within a few minutes of eating the allergy causing food. Again Anaphylaxis sometimes may not carry any skin problem with it at the beginning .It makes the detection of Anaphylaxis very difficult at the on set. But Anaphylaxis is an emergency and needs doctor’s immediate action. Otherwise it can become fatal also.