Food Allergy & Intolerances

Dr. Rao is a food allergy doctor in Toledo, Ohio that is accepting new patients and has an allergy clinic located inside The Toledo Clinic.

Food allergies affect millions of people, both children and adults, though most often affecting babies and children.  Many times reactions to food are not allergic in nature but are rather intolerances.  Eight percent of children under the age of 6 have bad reactions to food, of which only 2-5% are an actual food allergy.  Food related reactions can occur with varying time frames, ranging from within minutes of ingesting an allergenic food to hours later.  Symptoms can also range from very mild such as sneezing and a runny nose to life-threatening with swelling of the throat or tongue, and/or a drop in blood pressure (known as anaphylaxis).

Common symptoms to watch for:
Abdominal symptoms: gas, bloating, diarrhea, stomach ache, vomiting
Headache, Irritability
Increase in allergic skin problems: rash, itchy skin, redness, hives, or worsening of pre-existing eczema
Increased Chest Congestion, wheezing, shortness of breath, cough
Increased nasal congestion, drainage and sneezing

Most Common Allergenic Foods:
*Eggs
*Cow’s milk
*Peanuts
*Soy
*Wheat
*Tree Nuts
*Fish & Shellfish

Peanuts, tree nuts, and shellfish have a tendency to be very severe/life-threatening.  Any food has the potential to be allergenic, even foods you have been eating for years.

We offer testing with an extensive food allergy panel (skin prick test) for all ages. We also offer blood tests and in-office, supervised ingestion challenges when a food is thought to no longer be allergenic for a patient.  If food allergies are identified, our patients are then trained to recognize a reaction and how to treat it should one occur.  The patient and/or parent/caregiver/guardian are also taught when and how to use an auto-injectable emergency medication device such as Epi-pen/Auvi-Q.

Currently there is no cure for food allergies.  There are many studies underway for food allergy desensitization but these have not yet been proven.  Therefore, strict avoidance of known allergenic foods is the only way to prevent an allergic reaction from occurring.

Resources:
*FoodAllergyAwareness.org –  Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Connection Team
*AllergyAndAsthmaRelief.org – American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology