All About: Food Allergy and Asthma

A lot of those living with asthma have allergic asthma, which means, that their asthma symptoms and flares are caused when they come in contact with something that triggers an allergic reaction in their bodies, particularly their airways, causing inflammation. While we all know the role of inflammation and mucus production in asthma, little is known about why certain things cause this allergic reaction in some people but don't have a similar impact on others.

Food allergy and asthma

One such trigger for an allergic reaction is food. Not everyone with a food allergy has asthma as well as, not all those with allergic asthma may have different foods as their allergens or asthma triggers.

Different foods can cause an allergic reaction in people, but these are some common ones:

• Dairy/lactose allergy
• Gluten/wheat allergy
• Seafood/shellfish allergy
• Nut allergy

A lot of Asthma.net community members express having food allergies which then exacerbate their asthma.

The experience of living with food allergies and asthma

Here are some articles from our advocates about their experiences with food allergies and asthma.

• Samantha writes on her experience with food allergies.
• Kat wonders in this article if processed/cured meats are her asthma trigger.
• Andrea shares in this article how she navigates her shellfish allergy, and how she had to deal with it once on a vacation.

Are there any foods that cause allergies for you?