What's the relationship between asthma and food allergies?

What's the relationship between asthma and food allergies?

William Berger (Allergist and Immunologist) gives expert video advice on: What is "asthma"?; Can people die from asthma?; What causes asthma? and more...

Just like in other allergic problems such as asthma and hay fever, we're seeing an increase in the incidence of food allergy. In children, milk, eggs and peanuts certainly can cause respiratory symptoms in addition to nasal symptoms, and we see when patients are taking these foods, and they're allergic to these foods, that it does cause an increase in their asthma. So, it's important that if you do think your child has a food allergy that it be tested for. In adults we tend to see that peanut, shellfish, flatfish and also some of the tree nuts can cause problems with asthma. Again, if you think you might have food allergy tell your doctor, have yourself tested, and in fact if you are allergic to those foods avoid them because they can cause exacerbation or reocurrence of your asthma symptoms.