Food allergy and asthma

Abstract

Food allergy and asthma commonly co-exist in the same patient with approximately one-third of children with food allergy having asthma. When both atopic conditions are present a food allergic patient is placed at greater risk of having a fatal reaction from food allergen exposure. For this reason asthma should be diligently managed in a food allergic patient and these patients should be carefully instructed on allergen avoidance and the proper use of self-injectable epinephrine. This review summarises the available literature regarding patients with both food allergy and asthma specifically looking at disease prevalence, IgE-mediated effects on the lower respiratory tract secondary to foods, the interplay of food additives and asthma, and food allergy as a risk factor for asthma morbidity with practical applications for clinicians. © 2009 General Practice Airways Group. All rights reserved.