[Food allergy: definition, diagnosis, epidemiology, clinical aspects] - PubMed

[Article in German]

Affiliations

• PMID: 8693302

Review

[Food allergy: definition, diagnosis, epidemiology, clinical aspects]

[Article in German]

B Wüthrich. Schweiz Med Wochenschr. 1996.

Abstract

Contrary to the lay and media perception, adverse reactions to foods (and food additives) occur less often than believed by the patients. The term food intolerance (FI) is widely misused as a cause of all sorts of symptoms and diseases. This diagnosis is often based on "alternative" techniques. Food allergy (FA) is the correct diagnosis if the symptoms resulting from the ingestion of a food (or an ingredient) are due to an immune mechanism. This diagnosis is seldom difficult in the case of a severe reaction immediately after ingestion of the food and when skin prick tests and/or IgE antibodies to the incriminated food are clearly positive. However, the best way to establish FA/FI is-apart from exclusion from the diet, which tends to have a marked placebo effect-the performance of proper double-blind, placebo-controlled food challenges (DBPCFC). Evidently, there are difficulties in conducting studies of this nature in a large population sample, and so far only three prevalence studies in Dutch and English adults have been based on DBPCFC. The reported prevalences of FA/FI (questionnaire answers) were 12% to 19%, whereas the confirmed prevalences varied from 0.8% to 2.4%. For additive intolerance the prevalence varied between 0.01 to 0.23%. The consequences of mistaken perception of FA/FI, which can have a major social impact in financial and health terms, require an information campaign for doctors, lay and media in connection with these problems.

Similar articles

• Egg and milk allergy in asthmatic children: assessment by immulite allergy food panel, skin prick tests and double-blind placebo-controlled food challenges.

  Yazicioğlu M, Başpinar I, Oneş U, Pala O, Kiziler U. Yazicioğlu M, et al. Allergol Immunopathol (Madr). 1999 Nov-Dec;27(6):287-93. Allergol Immunopathol (Madr). 1999. PMID: 10611552 Clinical Trial.

• Prevalence of immunoglobulin E-mediated food allergy in 6-9-year-old urban schoolchildren in the eastern Black Sea region of Turkey.

  Orhan F, Karakas T, Cakir M, Aksoy A, Baki A, Gedik Y. Orhan F, et al. Clin Exp Allergy. 2009 Jul;39(7):1027-35. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2222.2009.03263.x. Epub 2009 Apr 27. Clin Exp Allergy. 2009. PMID: 19400894 Clinical Trial.

• Food allergy and non-allergic food hypersensitivity in children and adolescents.

  Roehr CC, Edenharter G, Reimann S, Ehlers I, Worm M, Zuberbier T, Niggemann B. Roehr CC, et al. Clin Exp Allergy. 2004 Oct;34(10):1534-41. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2222.2004.02080.x. Clin Exp Allergy. 2004. PMID: 15479267

• [Food intolerance and food allergy].

  Schnyder B, Pichler WJ. Schnyder B, et al. Schweiz Med Wochenschr. 1999 Jun 19;129(24):928-33. Schweiz Med Wochenschr. 1999. PMID: 10413828 Review. German.

• Food intolerance and allergy--a review.

  Lessof MH. Lessof MH. Q J Med. 1983 Spring;52(206):111-9. Q J Med. 1983. PMID: 6351151 Review.

Publication types

MeSH terms

Substances

LinkOut - more resources

• Medical

  • MedlinePlus Health Information