We hear a lot about children having food allergies, but did you know that it’s possible to develop food allergies at any point in your lifetime? While it’s not clear why, some adults may develop an allergy to food that they previously had no problems with.
While children may outgrow their food allergies, that’s very unlikely to happen in adults. And chances are, adults won’t be able to count on the passage of time to shake off common food allergy triggers such as peanuts, fish, shellfish (prawns and crabs), and tree nuts like almonds, walnuts and cashews.
The symptoms of an allergy in adults are similar to that in children, and reactions can happen as quickly as within minutes, or be delayed till hours after you eat something your body is adverse to. These food allergy symptoms can range from mild to severe and may include:
- Tingling of the mouth
- Swelling of the lips, face, tongue or throat
- Hives
- Diarrhoea
- Vomiting
- Trouble breathing
