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Food Allergies: An Overview

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Allergies and Adolescents

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Abstract

Food allergy (FA), a pathologic immune response to food proteins, affects 8% of children and adolescents in the United States. Effective FA diagnosis incorporates a comprehensive clinical history, physical examination, and diagnostic testing. Patients with FA are at risk for anaphylaxis, a life-threatening allergic reaction involving two or more organ systems. Prompt administration of epinephrine is the only lifesaving treatment for anaphylaxis. Additionally, lifestyle modifications are necessary to ensure the safety of patients with FA. These modifications include, but are not limited to, strict avoidance of food allergens, careful reading of food labels, comprehensive education on anaphylaxis management, taking precautions when outside of the home, and raising food allergy awareness. This chapter will discuss prevalence, pathophysiology, diagnosis, treatment, differential diagnosis, prognosis, and common misperceptions of food allergy.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Center for Community Health, Chicago, IL, USA

    Jialing Jiang BA, Lauren M. Kao MD, Ozge N. Aktas MD & Ruchi S. Gupta MD, MPH

  2. Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, Academic General Pediatrics and Primary Care, Chicago, IL, USA

    Ruchi S. Gupta MD, MPH

Authors
  1. Jialing Jiang BA
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  2. Lauren M. Kao MD
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  3. Ozge N. Aktas MD
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  4. Ruchi S. Gupta MD, MPH
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jialing Jiang BA .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Nationwide Children’s Hospital, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, Ohio, USA

    David R. Stukus

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Jiang, J., Kao, L.M., Aktas, O.N., Gupta, R.S. (2018). Food Allergies: An Overview. In: Stukus, D. (eds) Allergies and Adolescents. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-77485-5_9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-77485-5_9

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-77484-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-77485-5

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

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