Information from the Mayo Clinic shows that some 2% of adults in the USA suffer from some form of allergic reaction to food. Additionally, child food allergies account for another 6%. While those percentages may look small,  with a total population in excess of 300 million in the America that translates to 6 million and 18 million people, respectively.

As with other allergic reactions, a food allergy comes about when the immune system overreacts to an allergen. Common food allergens include, but are not limited to, products that are dairy based such as cream, seafood, shellfish, peanuts and eggs.

Since the body sees the ingestion of any of these foods as a foreign invader instead of nutrition, it releases an antibody called Immunoglobulin E or IgE for short ready to fight the perceived invader. The antibodies stimulate the release of histamine, prostaglandins and other substances which produce the symptoms.

When compared with other allergies, symptoms of food allergies are usually far more extensive. Sinus congestion and watery eyes are a possibility. But, they are usually accompanied with or overwhelmed by allergic skin hives (itchy red welts that form on the skin), swelling of the lips, tongue or pharynx,