It is normal to have an unpleasant reaction to something we eat. These reactions are common, and you can deal with them without going through a rough patch. Some people are allergic to particular food items by birth, and some develop it later in life. And the term that describes your unpleasant reaction to certain foods is known as a food allergy.

Moreover, there is some other kind of reactions like food intolerance. But food intolerance is different from food allergy. You eat something, but you had a hard time digesting it. If you had a bad digesting problem, means you had food intolerance and not a food allergy. These two terms are different from each other, and they represent various issues.

Difference between Food Allergy and Intolerance:

Food allergy and Food intolerance are both reactions of your body towards food items. But what differentiates them is the mechanism of the reaction. In food allergy, the immune system of your body responds in a defensive style. It enlightens the fact that the food item is harmful. And as result, your body fights against it by causing inflammation and other symptoms. Food allergy is a visible chemical reaction, and it is an observable reaction.

Food intolerance is a terrible and bad reaction to your body, and it occurs when your digestive system can not digest a particular food. It shows that your body is facing difficulty in breaking and digesting the particles present in the food item. Food intolerance occurs when any harmful chemical like dye is present, and it affects your digestive system immediately.

Food Allergy

Food allergy is commonly the first reaction of your body, and it is the result of your immune response. When you are allergic to something, you get the signs of an allergic reaction on your skin. For example, if you are allergic to milk, milk will trigger your immune system, and you will get rashes and other signs on your skin.

It can be innate or can develop at any stage of life. Some people have inherited food allergies, and they stay with them throughout their life. But it does not mean they are not treatable. They are manageable, and so is the severity of the allergy. Consult your doctor on time and get the required treatment before it gets too late. In inherited cases, if your parents are allergic to particular food items, there are chances that you might also be allergic to them.

There are some kinds of allergies you develop from eating something harmful. They trigger your immune system, and later whenever your body encounters them, your body shows unlikable reactions towards them. And when you consult your doctor, they count it as an allergic reaction.

Some of the food items that trigger allergic responses in people are

• Tree nuts
• Crayfish
• Crabs
• Peanuts
• Milk
• Egg

Milk and eggs show allergic responses in children, whereas tree nuts and crabs in adult people. Some food allergies are life-threatening, and they can affect your organs badly. True food allergies affect all your body system, and they make it difficult for your immune system to bear them in your body. They can be treated with the help of allergy pills or by avoiding the food that triggers them.

Food Intolerance

Food intolerance is the difficulty you face while digesting some food items. It is a treatable condition and is less severe than food allergy. Some people confuse it with a food allergy, but they both are different body reactions. Food intolerance occurs when you intake a harmful chemical via any food, and then your body can not ccdigest it. It is the abnormal response of your digestive system towards any injurious chemical or ingredient.

Food intolerance does not involve your immune system, and it is not a life-threatening medical condition. It is treatable, and it can occur due to several reasons. In some people, food intolerance is the result of sensitivity towards some food items. And people who have lactose intolerance show bad reactions whenever they drink milk. It means their body is not capable of digesting natural sugar and compounds of natural sugar. Some people experience bloating when they eat wheat, and it is a sign that they might have a wheat intolerance.

Some of the common symptoms of food intolerance are:

• Bloating
• Stomach Pain
• Skin rashes
• Diarrhea
• Itching on skin

The symptoms usually appear after few hours of taking the harmful ingredient, and sometimes people could not identify them. They mix it with other medical conditions, but it can be identified by tests. But the best way to spot food intolerance is to monitor the symptoms you get after eating a particular food item.