HomeMythbuster: Are certain allergies more “severe” than others?

Mythbuster: Are certain allergies more “severe” than others?

November 26, 2018

FACT: There are no markers or measurements to predict the severity of a patient’s allergy.

Many factors can affect reaction severity including the amount eaten, a delay in giving or lack of epinephrine and poor asthma control. Age can also be a factor: youth or teens may have more severe reactions because of risk-taking behaviour with eating and denying their symptoms.

There are also important “co-factors,” such as alcohol, exercise and certain medications, that can influence the severity of food allergic reactions by lowering the threshold for a reaction in some people.

Bottom line: If you have more than one food allergy, each allergy should be taken as seriously as the others.

Help us educate your communities and share this mythbuster with them! Find more mythbusters at foodallergycanada.ca/mythbusters.

Medical content reviewed by: Dr. Susan Waserman, MSc, MD, FRCPC, and Dr. Julia Upton, MD, FRCP(C) Clinical Immunology and Allergy
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