Substances in food, house dust and pollen can cause anything from a running nose to digestive upsets or migraines and even more severe.

Such sensitivities are becoming increasingly common. For example, allergy related illnesses, such as asthma, eczema and hay fever are affecting about one in three children before they reach the age of 11. About 10% of adults suffer from migraines, and 10% suffer from eczema.

Many of these conditions can be triggered by reactions to food. As people grow older their susceptibility and response to certain allergens with often change, particularly where these stem from diet.

If you suspect a food sensitivity it can often be diagnosed through elimination diets, skin testing or muscle testing. However, sometimes, there are no obvious clues, which can be frustrating.

Often a person will crave the very thing they are intolerant to, which can be a surprising and interesting clue.

Below I have listed the most common food sensitivities and typical symptoms, in descending order, with milk being the most common:

Milk

Foods: Dairy produce, such as milk, butter, cream, ice cream, cheeses, yogurt.

Symptoms: Constipation, diarrhoea, wind, acne, rhinitis, catarrh, mucus, asthma, migraines (from cheese particularly). Babies may suffer more from wind, colic, catarrh, eczema.

Gluten

Foods: Flour, bread, biscuits, barley, rye, beer, canned soups, stock cubes, rusk containing processed foods, hydrolysed vegetable protein.

Symptoms: Migraine, constipation, bloating, eczema, psoriasis, celiac disease

Eggs

Foods: Usually egg whites cause the problem. Cakes, puddings, meringues, mayonnaise, mousses, ice cream.

Symptoms: Rashes, swelling and stomach upsets. Can contribute to asthma as well as eczema.

Fish

Foods: Smoked fish, eg kippers.

Symptoms: Migraine, nausea, skin rashes, swelling and stomach upsets.

Shellfish

Foods: All types, from lobster, prawn, crab to clams, oysters, scallops and mussels.

Symptoms: Lengthy stomach upsets, diarrhea, migraine, and nausea.

Nuts

Foods: Peanuts, walnuts, cashews and pecans, for example. Can be found in a wide range of products in various amounts, such as nutty breads, biscuits, desserts, ice cream and oils.

Symptoms: Rashes, swelling, asthma and eczema. In severe cases potentially anaphylactic shock.

Soya Beans

Foods: Soy sauce, soya flour, soya milk and tofu, soya oil, cake mixes, some canned condensed soups.

Symptoms: Headaches, indigestion.

Additives

Foods: Wide range of packaged, processed and take away foods and drinks.

Symptoms: hyperactivity, behavioural changes.

Come and see me at the Galleria if you would like to find out more. To help isolate common food intolerances I can do muscle testing at the Galleria. Food elimination diets and homeopathics are also useful in helping to address food intolerances and I can advise on this individually.