Around 1 percent of the "overall population" and 8 percent of children suffer from food allergies, ABC News reports. However, food allergies are on the rise and some people are in the dark about it.
Dr. Richard Besser, ABC News' chief health and medical correspondent, decided to gather together colleagues on Twitter for a Q&A session with inquiring minds. Other experts that participated were from Food Allergy Research & Education, the American Dietetic Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics and Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America.
People who suffer from food allergies also joined the session, as did top hospitals from across the country, according to ABC.
The first topic was defining what a food allergy was and how it differs from food intolerance, such as being lactose intolerant, which causes gastrointestinal distress.
"A food allergy is an immune response to a substance in food. Intolerance is not an immune response," tweeted the President of the American Academy of Pediatrics Thomas McInerny.
The foods mainly responsible for allergies are "cow's milk, eggs, fish, peanuts, shellfish, soy, tree nuts and wheat," ABC reported.
The experts next discussed who could be susceptible to a food allergy.
"As many as 8 percent of kids have food allergy. While common in children, allergies strike at any age," tweeted The American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology.
Next, the Allergy Free Preschool elaborated on the types of symptoms to look for in an allergic reaction.
"Hives, eczema, asthma reaction, anaphylaxis, vomiting, behavioral changes, itchy throat and itchy skin...," tweeted the organization.
In order to find out if you have a food allergy, Dr. Martha Hartz advised that one must be tested.
"Symptoms of food allergy must be confirmed by testing. If risk (is) life threatening...need Epinephrine," she tweeted.
If you would like to find out what the test consists of, how to prevent an allergic reaction and how children with allergies can go about daily life, read the full article and Q&A transcript here.
