Food allergy
Food allergy
A food allergy will occur when the body’s immune system responds in an unusual way after eating certain foods. Symptoms may appear almost instantly after eating or develop within a couple of hours.
Some of the common foods associated with allergies include milk, eggs, shellfish, nuts, wheat and soya – to access factsheets on the different foods and how it can affect a person, visit Allergy UK.
Common symptoms include: 
- Abdominal pain or diarrhoea
- Feeling sick or vomiting
- Itchy skin or rash
- Runny nose and sneezing
- Wheezing and coughing
- Severe symptoms could lead to anaphylaxis
Avoidance of the specific food is the only real treatment or if the customer experiences itchy skin/rash, antihistamines can be suggested.
Top tips to advise your customers with a food allergy:
- Keep a diary of the food(s) which causes the allergy
- Consider checking the ingredients on food labels which you need to avoid