Food Allergy 100 - History How allergic reactions develop When you first ingest a potentially allergenic food, you might not exhibit symptoms, but your immune system mistakenly prepares to protect you against it. The next time you eat that same food your body releases chemicals that cause symptoms such as eczema or even life-threatening reactions such as anaphylaxis. Food allergies usually begin in childhood and the person might carry it for life. There are some allergies, such as milk allergy, that may be outgrown with time. There is a difference between food allergy and food intolerance. People who suffer from food intolerance are not able to digest or process specific foods properly, resulting in bloating, abdominal pain, wind, vomiting, or diarrhea. The problem usually results from enzyme deficiency; this enzyme is required by the body to digest some foods. Unlike food allergies, intolerances are usually not dangerous or life- threatening. Allergy history It is estimated that by the age of two, five to eight percent of all children may develop a food allergy. It should be noted that studies suggest children with a family history of allergies may be two to four times more likely to develop an allergy or intolerance. Prevention against allergies and intolerances should start as soon as possible, especially when your child is just a baby. Infancy is an especially vulnerable time for food allergies to develop. According to some studies, babies who are exclusively breast-fed for a prolonged period, develop less eczema and wheezing in the first year of life compared to babies who are fed cow's or soya milk formula. Babies especially should void allergy medicine and drugs whenever possible due to their possible side-effects, and undertake natural allergy cures and precautions. Also, you can get a free allergies E-book in our website here: Natural Allergy Cures. This book is about all the natural drug free ways to treat and cure allergy and asthma problems.