Food Allergies and Hives: What’s the Connection?
Written By: Jordan Stachel, M.S., RDN, CPT
Food allergies are abnormal responses that the body has after ingesting foods. They can be difficult and scary things to live with, causing a wide array of potential health repercussions and issues if not diagnosed and managed properly. Some people wonder about the connection between food allergies and hives.
Some of the most common food allergies include cow’s milk, eggs, nuts (peanuts and tree nuts), wheat, and shellfish.[1] While not always the case, often food allergies will present during childhood and may or may not be outgrown by the time you reach adulthood. Often people do not know that they have a food allergy until the food is consumed and symptoms present. One of the most common food allergy symptoms can be hives.
How Food Allergies Cause Hives
Hives can be one response to a food allergy and can be a common food allergy symptom. Many people have allergic reactions and get a skin rash as a result. If you eat a certain food that you are allergic to, levels of IgE increase in the blood. The higher levels of this circulating antibody evoke an immune response in the body, and sometimes, this immune response causes the appearance of hives.[2]
For example, if someone who is allergic to peanuts consumes peanut butter, IgE antibodies will begin to circulate and release in rapid numbers in the body. When this happens, these antibodies attach to cells that release many chemicals and histamine inside the body, causing certain symptoms to flare. If the chemicals are released into the skin, one of these symptoms can be hives, itchiness, or general redness.[2]
Hives can arise for a number of reasons and may not be related to food allergies, it is best to seek the care of a team of qualified healthcare professionals if you are experiencing hives.
Identifying Food Allergies That Trigger Hives
In order to identify foods that you may be allergic to, it is important to seek care with a team of qualified healthcare professionals who can help direct you and monitor your symptoms and reactions. Usually, a healthcare provider will take your medical history and perform some testing to identify food allergies.[3] It can be helpful to log foods consumed in a food journal and the corresponding symptoms or reactions you experience before seeing a healthcare provider, if possible. The healthcare provider may ask about your food consumption, if you are currently on medication, how much of a certain food you ate when you had a reaction, how long symptoms took to develop, and how long the symptoms lasted.[3] Having some of these answers in the form of a log can make these appointments easier for some.
After obtaining a medical history and gaining an understanding of food patterns, a healthcare provider may conduct some testing, such as a skin-prick test and/or a blood test.[3] The skin-prick tests expose the skin to allergens and wait for a reaction to take place. Blood tests measure the amount of IgE levels in the blood.
Oral food challenges may also be recommended, in which you consume a small amount of the food in a medically supervised setting. These types of tests are not typically conducted unless absolutely necessary. Once all data from the testing has been obtained, the team of providers can advise you on the next steps.
Treatment and Management of Food Allergies
The treatment and management of food allergies vary depending on if you are having an immediate and/or severe reaction. In the immediate, if someone with a food allergy eats or comes into contact with the food they are allergic to, they will need medical attention.
For a milder reaction:
A team of healthcare providers may begin by offering antihistamines. Antihistamines are a medication type that blocks histamine, which is the chemical that is released in higher amounts in the blood when you are having an allergic reaction.[4] There are different types of antihistamines that can be given, and you should consult your healthcare provider for individualized care and guidance. These may also sometimes be used in food sensitivities. Hives and food sensitivities can also be connected.
For more severe reactions:
Epinephrine is most often given when someone has an allergic reaction that may be life-threatening and/or affecting their airway.[4] However, when in doubt, a healthcare provider may recommend using epinephrine or over-abstaining if you believe you or someone else may be at risk.
Living with Food Allergies
In terms of long-term strategies for people living with food allergies, people must completely avoid the foods that they are allergic to in order to prevent symptoms and/or reactions.
Know the foods you are allergic to
For example, if you are allergic to eggs, avoiding eggs may be more involved than just not ordering scrambled eggs for breakfast. It may also be about understanding what foods contain eggs and avoiding them. On nutrition labels, there is a “contains” line in which high-allergen foods should be listed, and learning to properly read labels is important for those living with food allergies.
Inform restaurant staff when dining out
It is also important for those living with food allergies to learn how to inform restaurant staff when dining out. To avoid cross-contamination, it is important to inform restaurants of your allergies and ensure they are using safe food practices so that your health is not at risk.
Allergy shots
Your healthcare provider may also recommend allergy shots as a long-term management strategy. This process involves desensitizing the body to an allergen by exposing the body to the allergen via small doses of controlled vaccination.[5] Sometimes, this process is known as immunotherapy, and each shot will contain a small amount of the food to trigger an allergic reaction, but not enough to cause symptoms to present. The school of thought is that, over time, the body will become more used to the allergen and not react, potentially becoming a small degree more sensitized. Even with these types of interventions, foods that you are allergic to must be avoided.
Take Control of Your Health With Everlywell
Food allergies can be scary to live with and manage. The good news is that you don’t have to manage them alone. Everlywell has various testing options, such as our Food Sensitivity Test, you can complete from the comfort of your own home. Although different from food allergy tests, these tests serve as a great starting point for learning more about your immune system and the foods that may be causing uncomfortable, though not life-threating, symptoms. Once your results are obtained, you can get personalized guidance to help your food selection in a two-part elimination diet.
Getting the proper diagnosis and care when it comes to food allergies can be a matter of life and death. It is critical to get an accurate diagnosis so that your health is not at risk. Take control of your health with Everlywell.
References
- Iweala OI, Choudhary SK, Commins SP. Food allergy. Curr Gastroenterol Rep. 2018;20(5):17. doi:10.1007/s11894-018-0624-y
- National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Causes and prevention of food allergy. Last reviewed June 10, 2024. Accessed December 30, 2024. Medical Citation URL.
- American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. Food allergy. Last reviewed June 28, 2023. Accessed December 30, 2024. Medical Citation URL.
- Food Allergy Research and Education. Recognizing and treating reaction symptoms. Accessed December 30, 2024. Medical Citation URL.
- Mayo Clinic. Allergy shots. Published April 13, 2024. Accessed December 30, 2024. Medical Citation URL.