Allergic. Intolerant. Sensitive. All three adjectives are bandied about, sometimes interchangeably, when describing reactions to food. However, their differences are distinct, and being unaware of those dissimilarities can be deadly.
It’s important to seek a medical evaluation by an allergist or immunologist if you suspect you have a food allergy, food sensitivity or food intolerance. A physician will administer definitive tests or guidance for an elimination diet.
This overview is intended solely to provide information on common physical reactions associated with the three conditions and does not constitute medical advice.
About 33% of adults and 25% of children in the United States have a food allergy, eczema or seasonal allergy, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Recognizing if you or someone you’re with is experiencing a potentially lethal allergic reaction could be lifesaving.
Key factors in determining the difference between allergy, intolerance and sensitivity include when the body responds to a food, what body parts are involved and how severely the body responds.
Allergic reactions can take a few hours to manifest, but generally, they are sudden and severe. Signs of food intolerance typically appear within a few hours, and it could take days before symptoms of food sensitivity are detectable.
A food allergy affects the immune system, according to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, while intolerance and sensitivity responses manifest in the digestive system, such as diarrhea, stomach pain, bloating or vomiting.
Food allergy symptoms frequently include hives, coughing, difficulty breathing, wheezing, itching and tingling inside the mouth, swelling of vocal cords and the throat. Those symptoms happen within minutes or up to two hours after consumption or contact, according to the United States Department of Agriculture.
Many of the reactions become visible on the skin because the immune system reacts to the allergen by releasing histamines that increase blood flow and cause inflammation. Anaphylaxis can occur with some food allergies, and it requires immediate treatment because it can be fatal by causing problems breathing, the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology warns.
Food intolerance causes digestive turmoil such as stomach cramps, diarrhea, gas, and bloating. Those effects occur because the body doesn’t have the necessary enzymes to digest and process the food.
The symptoms of food sensitivity are very similar to intolerance, but can also include migraines, fatigue or skin irritation such as eczema. Sensitivity can be harder to diagnose because symptoms might not appear until several days after eating the trigger food.
