Allergies and Intolerances FOOD ALLERGY. A food allergy can be defined as any adverse, and often immediate, reaction to food in which the immune system is involved. Severe cases may result in anaphylactic shock requiring immediate medical attention. Symptoms include swollen lips, mouth and tongue, urticaria (rash) and vomiting. Shellfish, some berries and peanuts are the common foods that induce an allergic reaction in some people, and in such cases are known as allergens.

Around 33% (1 in 3) of the population will at sometime in their life have a disease where allergy may be involved and in consequence allergy testing is becoming increasingly sophisticated.

However there is no point in having an allergy test if either the patient or the doctor are not prepared to act on the results. If the results from the tests are positive and correlate with a clear and precise history then one should gain benefit from appropriate allergy medication not only to relieve the symptoms, but also in the use of prevention medication and not least appropriate avoidance measures.