NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — It's Halloween, and you may be reaching for some candy...many which contain nuts.
They're ingredients you may have never been allergic to before, but adult-onset food allergies are becoming more common.
A 2019 study in 'JAMA Network Open' found more than 26-million American adults are food allergic and about half developed their allergy in adulthood.
From 2007 to 2016 insurance claims for anaphylactic reactions to food rose 377% with a third of claims filed by adults.
That's according to non-profit 'Fair Health'. Here's how adult-onset food allergies can happen.
"So our immune system is always in flux. It is always surveying the outside world, looking for potential danger, and it is not uncommon for our immune system to occasionally get it wrong and see the outside world as a danger signal inappropriately, and that is allergy," said allergist and immunologist Dr. Kara Wada.
Doctors say it's important to differentiate this from a food intolerance, which is also common for adults to develop.
But, accidentally eating a food you're intolerant to can mean an upset stomach, versus one you're allergic to that can require immediate medical attention.
Signs of an allergy include itching, skin rashes or hives, nausea, wheezing and losing consciousness.
In addition to the nuts that may be in your Halloween candy, doctors say shellfish, milk, and fin fish are also top foods for adults to become allergic to later in life.
If you think this has happened to you, talk to your doctor about an allergy test.
