Food Allergy Treatment Options

Food allergy treatment can be very complex. Once a food allergy is discovered, some doctors recommend complete elimination of the food from your diet. Certain allergenic foods, however, are so common that it may be exceedingly difficult or even nutritionally unsound to cut them out completely. If this is the case, consider consulting a registered dietitian for help with your diet.

You may also be advised to avoid the entire family of foods if you're allergic to a certain one. For example, if you are allergic to peanuts, your allergist may recommend simply avoiding all nuts.

Finally, medications are available to treat the symptoms of food allergies. Antihistamines, like the medication Benadryl, are available to treat symptoms such as rashes, stuffy or runny noses, sneezing and hives. If you have asthma issues that flare up as a symptom of your food allergy, your allergist may prescribe a bronchodilator, like albuterol, which is administered from a handheld inhaler.

If your food allergy elicits a particularly severe reaction, like anaphylaxis, your doctor will likely prescribe an Epi Pen, which contains epinephrine (adrenalin) to stop an anaphylactic reaction.