Campbelltown Hospital, Campbelltown, New South Wales, Australia.
Intern Med J. 2009 Jul;39(7):475-8. doi: 10.1111/j.1445-5994.2009.01967.x. Epub 2009 Apr 20.
There has been an increase in the prevalence of food allergy in the last few decades. Adult food allergy may represent persistence of reactions that commenced in infancy and early childhood or it may be initiated in adulthood through new sensitizations. Persistence of peanut allergy is an example of the former situation. Approximately 20% of children will develop tolerance to peanuts, so there will be an increasing number of individuals reaching adulthood where this problem will need ongoing management. In addition to peanut, tree nuts, fruits, vegetables and seafood are implicated as common causes of food allergy in adulthood. Sensitization may occur directly to a food allergen or indirectly through cross-reactivity with an aeroallergen. Adults may present with a spectrum of clinical manifestations from oral allergy syndrome to fatal anaphylaxis. The management of food allergy consists of appropriate education regarding avoidance of implicated foods, modifying potential risk factors for anaphylaxis, such as asthma and prompt recognition and treatment of acute reactions.
在过去几十年中，食物过敏的患病率有所增加。成人食物过敏可能代表着在婴儿期和幼儿期开始的反应持续存在，或者可能通过新的致敏作用在成年期开始。花生过敏的持续存在就是前一种情况的例子。大约 20%的儿童会对花生产生耐受性，因此会有越来越多的人进入成年期，需要持续管理这个问题。除了花生，树坚果、水果、蔬菜和海鲜也被认为是成人食物过敏的常见原因。致敏作用可能直接发生在食物过敏原上，也可能通过与空气过敏原的交叉反应间接发生。成人可能表现出从口腔过敏综合征到致命过敏反应的一系列临床表现。食物过敏的管理包括对避免食用相关食物的适当教育，改变哮喘等过敏反应的潜在危险因素，并及时识别和治疗急性反应。
