WarnerCarrMD

You can develop a new food allergy at any time. Early introduction of the highly allergic foods is the best prevention. If there is a high risk family member then always consider consultation with an Allergist. Each patient is different so that may be helpful.

The biggest misconception has to do with food intolerance vs. food allergy. The immunologic mechanisms are totally different. Real food allergy can be life threatening because it is mediated by the allergic antibody IGE. This is why we give the epinephrine injectors to people with food allergy. A food intolerance may make you feel bad but it usually does not increase your risk of death. There are lots of others but this is the most common I would say.

Rarely is peanut allergy airborne. It is possible if there is a lot of peanut flour or something like that in the air. However, from the nut itself it is unlikely. You have to have contact or ingest it. Hope that helps.

This is a difficult one. It just depends on what the symptoms are. People can have reactions to foods that are non-allergic. Basically if gluten makes you feel sick then don't eat it. It is unlikely that you will have a severe reaction like anaphylaxis so you will not need an epipen. I usually recommend to avoid highly processed forms of wheat and gluten anyway. Hope that helps.

I see soy allergy all the time. It is one of the most common food allergies. There are specific requirements through the Federal government (US) for food allergy labeling because it's so common. This is one of the foods that I can desensitize people to through the process of food allergy immunotherapy (OIT). We have had great success with our patients.