Is it possible to suddenly develop an allergy to a certain food/foods in your early 20's?

Question

Recently got a terrible case of hives. Doctor said it was food related. I have never been allergic to anything before, and did not introduce anything new in what I consume.

Answer 1

Yes! You can develope allergies to things you never were allergic to at any time.

Answer 2

Yes... absolutely possible. I have developed an allergy to pineapple that I didn't have before my 20's. And even though I didn't have it before that, it is quite serious now, and I have to be very diligent about avoiding pineapple.

Both my mother and my grandmother developed the same allergy at around the same time of their lives.

Edit: In response to Pennypincher's question below... diarrhea is not one of the symptoms of my pineapple allergy. The main thing it causes is rash, but it's rather extreme. It's all over, extremely itchy, and breaks and bleeds, can look like burns in places, and can could cause permanent scarring.

I'm also allergic to peanuts, but it's not severe like it is for a lot of people. They really just cause a mild rash that isn't widespread (just upper arms and face)... and that doesn't even happen at all if I only consume a small quantity. It seems that some soy products are becoming a problem for me too. Some people are more prone to developing allergies I think.

Answer 3

Yes. People can develop an allergy to anything at anytime in their lives. The most likely cause of hives is an allergy. Look for new exposures first-foods, spices, shampoos, conditioners,lotions, perfumes,recent spraying of the house, cleaning of the carpets, plants, animals,etc. Stress can also cause hives. I personally developed an allergy to a flavoring in a liquid vitamin and dove soap.
If you don't get better in a few days consider seeing an allergist for further testing. Avoid heat. If the itching gets bad OTC benadryl, cortisone and claitan works well. Also try a cold compress or ice on the really bad ones.

Answer 4

interesting that your doctor said it was food related.. hopefully, this was the result of tests performed... allergies can develop over time or come on suddenly, but typically, the more exposure the worst the episode... It can takes weeks, months to make a determination - through the process of elimination. detergent/soap is notorious for causing hives on the skin... have you changed detergents lately? perfumes? fabric softeners... even the stuff in your environment can be a factor. Food allergies can be life threatening.... hopefully, your doctor suggested you carry an EpiPen (epinephrine)... in the event your food allergy turns deadly.

Answer 5

Yes, food allergies can appear at any age, but more than half begin in childhood. Symptoms will sometimes disappear as the child matures, only to resurface later in life. Adverse food reactions, also called food allergies and food intolerances, affect millions of people, and are believed to cause a variety of common health complaints and diseases. Many nutritionists and physicians believe that the only definitive way to identify and manage adverse food reactions is through an Allergy Avoidance Diet.

Some health care practitioners prescribe an Elimination Diet followed by food challenges. In an Elimination Diet, any food that is suspected of causing an allergy or intolerance is eliminated for a period of four days to three weeks, until symptoms are gone. Depending on the severity and type of symptoms, an Elimination Diet may range from moderately to severely restrictive in the amount of foods allowed.

Some researchers suggest the increasing incidence of allergies in America is a result of our weakened immune systems. Every year, thousands of chemicals that tax the immune response are introduced into food. According to Dr. Feldman, "from the pesticides in our fruits and vegetables to the antibiotics and tranquilizers in our meat, Americans are slowly being poisoned. We can tolerate only so much contamination before this toxic overload leads to illness."

Although the immune system does its best to defend the body against foreign substances, it has a threshold. According to the "allergy threshold concept," one can go over his or her threshold of tolerance because of a variety of factors, both internal and external. Some of these factors are environmental pollutants, genetic predisposition, emotional stress, nutritional deficiencies, immune status and age. Once we pass beyond this threshold, the immune system weakens and becomes prey to virtually every type of disease.

Another cause of food allergies is eating too much of a certain food too often. "Most people eat the same few foods over and over again, sometimes quite literally `ad nauseam,'" wrote Theron G. Randolph, M.D. in An Alternative Approach to Allergies. "Wheat, milk, beef, corn, beet or cane sugars and eggs represent the monotonous basis of the American diet. If a food is eaten in any form once in three days or more frequently, there is a chance it may become a problem."

Much more information is available at the website below. Good Health to you!

Answer 6

Yes you can. Your body changes all the time. Things you were around as a child such as poison ivory and we not allergic to you can be as an adult. Believe it or not most allergies are from not new things we subject our self too but from things we have actually been around for years.

Answer 7

To Secie.
That is very interesting. My mother and I are both allergic to chicken and turkey. We both developed the allergy at age 30. Does pineapple give you diarrhea?

Answer 8

its not uncommon to have an allergy to something that you have many times before its your body making changes such as myself never been allergic to anything then all of a sudden im allergic to amoxicillian ive taken that all my life until now

Answer 9

Yes, after giving birth to my daughter, I suddely became allergic to chocolate. Had eaten it all my life. And it was luck that I found out what was giving me such headaches. So yes it is possible.

Answer 10

It is totally possible to suddenly become allergic to something you have eaten all your life... That comes with age, my friend..