Whats the difference between having a Food Intolerance and having a Food Allergy?
Posted by: admin / Category: food intoleranceMy dad gets swelling of the tongue, neck, and lips quite often and he has been told he has a food allergy but now someone else has told him they think it’s a food intolerance. To me they are both the same. You eat something, your body doesn’t like it and you get a reaction. Can anyone tell me whats the difference is between them. Thanks
A food allergy is a fast response (minutes) by the body’s immune system to a perceived invader. Signs or symptoms are generally immediate, dramatic and visible: coughing, sneezing, vomiting, migraines, watering eyes, rashes, swelling tissue, hives – or in severe cases, an anaphylactic shock which requires emergency intervention and can lead to death if not treated promptly. However other symptoms like the gastro-intestinal responses nausea, vomiting and diarrhea can be delayed for hours or even days.
Food intolerance on the other hand is rather slow onset reaction, hours, days or even weeks. It is an inability to process a particular food. It is also thought to be an immune system response. The gastro-intestinal tract in some people is simply unable to produce appropriate enzymes for normal chemical breakdown. The food passes through unprocessed, or lingers in the gut fermenting producing excess ‘gas’. In some cases protein fragments rupture the lining of the intestine allowing foreign particles into the bloodstream. Symptoms of food intolerance are much more delayed, less dramatic and lifestyle threatening rather than life threatening. They generally manifest as nutritional deficiencies that develop over time. If left untreated however they can lead to serious illness and tissue damage.
