Food allergy, asthma and anaphylaxis

SUMMARY: Asthma and food allergy coexist in many children, although it remains unclear whether or not food allergy and asthma are simply associated with each other due to underlying predisposition to allergy or whether they are actually causally related. Several studies have shown that food allergic individuals who develop asthma are at higher risk for severe asthma. In addition, asthma in individuals with food allergy places those patients at higher risk for severe allergic reactions to food, such as anaphylaxis, particularly if the asthma is poorly controlled. Food allergy should be considered in children with acute, life-threatening asthma exacerbations with no identifiable triggers and in highly atopic children with severe persistent asthma resistant to medical management. Management of food allergy and asthma according towell-defined national guidelines is essential to establish good control of these conditions, particularly when they are concomitant. In patients with concurrent food allergy and asthma, education about heightened risks is an important step in treatment, and intramuscular epinephrine is the drug of choice in treatment of anaphylaxis.