Food intolerance

Food intolerance is when your body struggles to digest food or a component of food, and this causes uncomfortable or unpleasant physical symptoms. It is different from an allergy and is not life-threatening like an allergy can be. The most common culprits are dairy (lactose), wheat or gluten, and caffeine.

The most common symptoms of food intolerance are stomach pain, bloating, excessive gas, and diarrhea. In some instances, food intolerances can lead to mild skin symptoms such as rashes or itching but these differ in severity from allergic reactions. Suppose you were to suffer symptoms of an allergic reaction, not an intolerance. In that case, there is the potential for something called anaphylaxis to develop, which is life-threatening and can develop quickly. The symptoms may include coughing, wheezing, or having noisy or fast breathing. You may see the face, lips, and tongue swelling, but the risk is if the throat swells, blocking the airways.

Food intolerance symptoms are not very specific and commonly can be caused by other conditions such as stress, anxiety, irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease, and food allergies.