The Truth About Outgrowing Food Allergies, According To Doctors
Attending a dinner party or dining out at a restaurant can be a fraught experience for people with food allergies. Reaction-triggering ingredients can somehow manage to sneak their way into otherwise harmless dishes, making mealtime especially frustrating.
For some people, food allergies are a lifelong issue. Certain adverse reactions can start to develop well into adulthood. But some people report that they’ve outgrown certain food allergies and are eventually able to eat foods that they’ve historically had to avoid.
How does that happen? Can you truly outgrow food allergies? Is it something that you can control? We consulted Kara Wada, MD, Allergist and Immunologist at The Ohio State University's Wexner Medical Center, to tell us the truth about food allergies.
While this may answer some questions you may have about allergies, it’s worth noting that this information is not a sufficient replacement for medical care. If you are allergic to certain foods and have questions about your individual case, please consult your allergist or immunologist.
Can You Outgrow Food Allergies?
There is no definitive answer that applies to all people with food allergies, but Dr. Wada says that it is indeed possible to outgrow them. There are, however, a lot of factors that can determine if it can or will happen.
The American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology says that adult-onset food allergies tend to be lifelong, while certain allergies among children can be outgrown with time. But even then, it also depends on the particular allergens.
“Milk, egg, wheat, and soy allergies are often outgrown in childhood,” says Wada. “Peanut, tree nut, fish, and shellfish allergies are more likely to persist into adulthood.”
While the likelihood of allergic reactions changing over time depends on the food, that doesn’t mean you necessarily should rely on those statistics for yourself. “Even if an allergy is considered more commonly outgrown, there's no guarantee that it will happen for every individual,” Wada adds.
How Do You Know If You’ve Outgrown A Food Allergy?
Changes in your body’s reaction to allergens are not something you can control or bring about yourself. It’s a phenomenon that occurs naturally without the help of any medical intervention. But if you do notice that your allergic reactions happen less frequently or less severely than before, it’s worth investigating with your allergist or immunologist.
Outgrowing an allergy doesn’t mean your body flips a switch and you can suddenly eat whatever you want. And you certainly shouldn't test it out yourself by exposing yourself to an allergen. To avoid adverse reactions, medical experts advise undergoing further testing and generally proceeding with caution.
Wada says that if you suspect a growing tolerance to a particular allergen, your allergist will likely recommend an updated skin prick or blood test to reassess your allergen sensitivity. In some cases, professionals may suggest an oral food challenge, or OFC.
An OFC is “the gold standard for confirming tolerance,” says Wada. With medical supervision, an OFC involves the consumption of allergens in gradually increasing amounts. From there a medical professional can assess your reaction and determine if you have outgrown an allergy.
But determining that you have, in fact, outgrown an allergy is not the end of the story. You should regularly monitor your reactions and keep in contact with your allergist to keep track of any potential changes.
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