Allergies Vs Intolerances

You might be asking yourself. What’s an allergy? Or what’s an intolerance? What’s the difference? How do I know the difference? I will answer all of those questions and tell you a little bit about the experience I have had with intolerances and allergies.

Allergy

Definition: A condition in which the immune system reacts abnormally to a foreign substance. 

You can have allergies from many different things, but they are generally apart of 3 main categories medication, environmental, or food. Intolerances are always food related so that is what I will be talking about today, in comparison to allergies. Allergies to food can be moderate to severe. Some people cannot be in the same room as their allergen without it causing an effect. This can be from just touching the same object as a child who has handled an allergen can cause a reaction. Most people have heard about grade schools going peanut free, this is because some children’s allergies are so bad. Some people have an allergic reaction that overlaps with a food intolerance, so it is easy to get them confused. Generally, an allergic reaction is much more severe than an intolerance. Intolerances are always to do with gastrointestinal symptoms. With all the foods around, you would assume that there would be a lot of foods people are allergic to. In the United States, most allergies are made up of 8  different foods. These are milk, soy, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, wheat, fish, and shellfish. After 2006 all of these foods must be marked in accordance with the FDA, this is to prevent allergic reactions and make manufacturers accountable. A big win for us mamas that have to be constantly checking labels.

Food Intolerance

Definition: Digestive problems that occur after a certain food is eaten.  Intolerances are very common in babies, due to their underdeveloped digestive systems. A protein intolerance is the most common in infants. This means that the digestive system is unable to break down the protein in that food to digest it properly. Most common proteins to have an intolerance to are milk and soy. This problem is similar in nature to the lack of an enzyme like people have in lactose intolerance. Most of the time though, babies and children grow out of these intolerances. We come into this world really designed to drink mother’s milk so it makes sense that babies would have this issue. Having said that though, babies can have a reaction to their mother’s milk too if the mother is eating that food that is causing the intolerance. I had to be completely milk and soy free while I was breastfeeding Aria. Which was frustrating, to say the least, but it was healthy and I wanted the bond of breastfeeding. Some other causes of food intolerances are irritable bowel syndrome or IBS a chronic condition that causes diarrhea, constipation, and cramping. Stress or anxiety can also cause an intolerance. Celiac disease which is caused by eating gluten and can cause some serious damage if you continue to eat wheat. However, it does not leave a person at risk of anaphylaxis or a true allergic reaction, so it is categorized as an intolerance.

Symptoms of an Intolerance

• diarrhea
• indigestion/reflux/vomiting
• abdominal cramps/pain
• gas/flatulence
• blood in stools (more common in babies)
• excess mucus in stools (more common in babies)
• fatigue/irritability
• rash/itching
• bloating

So, an intolerance is not deadly, it can be very uncomfortable. If you want some evidence you need to see my video of my daughter after she has had milk. That is one of her intolerances.

We all have experienced a belly ache before, but imagine that constantly as well as diarrhea, and vomiting. Not only do these symptoms come after you eat the offending food, but days after. I can’t tell you how incredibly frustrating it is to watch your child in so much pain and not be able to do much of anything except give some measly ibuprofen.

In conclusion, I hope I answered some of your questions and you learned something. If you like what you’re reading please subscribe! Here is the post that started us on our MSPI journey! https://mamaofthedrama.com/2017/06/11/mspi-surviving-work-and-life-without-dairy-or-soy/

**R E S O U R C E S**

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/food-intolerance/https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/food-allergy/expert-answers/food-allergy/faq-20058538https://www.foodallergy.org/life-with-food-allergies/food-allergy-101/symptoms-of-an-allergic-reaction-to-foodhttps://www.foodallergy.org/life-with-food-allergies/food-allergy-101/facts-and-statisticshttps://www.fda.gov/Food/GuidanceRegulation/GuidanceDocumentsRegulatoryInformation/Allergens/ucm106890.htm Update: I decided to make shirts for this food allergies. Check it out! https://etsy.me/2msZIDF