With so much information coming out every day, it’s easy to confuse a food allergy with a food intolerance. While foods trigger both conditions, the reasons, reactions, and treatments differ.
A true food allergy is an immune reaction where the body fights a normally harmless food protein. In contrast, a food intolerance happens when the body cannot break down a food well.
In general, food intolerances lead to less severe reactions than food allergies. Intolerance usually causes problems with digestion, like nausea, gas, and diarrhea. Allergic reactions, however, can cause hives, minor stomach pain, throat tightness, and breathing problems.
Most people with food intolerances can use aids to help them enjoy troublesome foods. For example, people who are lactose intolerant can drink milk with the lactose removed or take tablets to help them digest that sugar. On the other hand, people with food allergies should avoid the allergen altogether, because the reaction can become stronger over time and even be fatal. Right now, there’s no cure for allergies. Most people can only take medicine to treat the symptoms.
If you’re unsure about the best way to treat a persistent problem, talk to a healthcare professional. Allergies can worsen, so you should know how to avoid an allergic reaction.
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