Time to tackle some common food allergy myths and listener questions.

Dr. Wright, a board-certified allergist and Medical Director at Thermo Fisher Scientific, joins Dr. G and Kortney to bust common misconceptions that circulate around food allergies as well as answer your questions.

What we cover in this episode:

- The difference between food allergy and food intolerance.

- How an allergist diagnoses a food intolerance.

- What medication exists for people with intolerances and how they work.

- How likely is it for your second child to develop a food allergy if their sibling does.

- Should you get your child tested for an allergy before introducing an allergenic food?

- If your child has eczema will they develop a food allergy?

- If you are allergic to peanuts will you also be allergic to legumes?

- If taking a food out of your diet will lead you to become sensitized to it and potentially develop an allergy to it?

- Is it true that when your allergen appears on a may contain label, you have to 100% avoid eating it?

- When it is appropriate to use Benadryl for an allergic reaction.

- The importance of epinephrine auto-injectors.

- Why you should not become complacent about having “little reactions”.

- Can antihistamines mask anaphylaxis?

- Will throwing up the food with an allergen in it lessen your chances of having a reaction?

-  Could you have an allergic reaction if you did not swallow the food with your allergen in it?

This episode was sponsored by Allergy Insider.

Additional Resources:

Allergy Insider

- Allergy Insider: https://www.thermofisher.com/diagnostic-education/patient/us/en/allergy.html?cid=0so_3pc_01062021_L5HBXE

- Follow @allergyinsider on Instagram for more information on allergies: https://www.instagram.com/allergyinsider/

- Follow Allergy Insider on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AllergyInsiderUS/

- Follow Dr. Wright on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr.wright_allergist/

More information about:

- Food Allergy vs. Food Intolerance: https://www.thermofisher.com/diagnostic-education/patient/us/en/blog/food-allergy-vs-food-intolerance-blog.html?redirect=false&cid=0so_3pc_01062021_L5HBXE

- How to read a label: https://www.thermofisher.com/diagnostic-education/patient/us/en/blog/how-to-read-a-food-label.html?redirect=false&cid=0so_3pc_01062021_L5HBXE

- How to Prepare for a Food Allergy Emergency: https://www.thermofisher.com/diagnostic-education/patient/us/en/blog/how-to-prepare-for-a-food-allergy-emergency.html?redirect=false&cid=0so_3pc_01062021_L5HBXE

Relevant The Itch Episodes:

- Ep. 22: Food Allergy Myth Busting - https://www.itchpodcast.com/post/episode-22

- Ep. 42: What are cross-reactive allergens? - https://www.itchpodcast.com/post/cross-reactive-allergens

- Ep. 2: The science behind an allergic reaction - https://www.itchpodcast.com/post/episode-2