Adult-Onset Food Allergies in 2025: Roshay's Journey and Costs of Management
Explore Roshay's inspiring story of discovering and managing adult-onset food allergies, including wheat allergy, nut sensitivities, and more. Learn about common adult food allergies, testing challenges, and the latest treatment options available today.
In 2020, Alana Roshay, a QPOC advocate and co-host of The Consciousness Salon Podcast, experienced an unexpected allergic reaction after enjoying fresh baguettes gifted by a friend. Despite her enthusiasm, within minutes she felt severe congestion, and by the next day, full allergy symptoms had manifested.
Having avoided bread since 2018, this sudden wheat allergy diagnosis was a tough adjustment for Roshay, who fondly recalls eating bread frequently during her childhood. Yet, this was just one chapter in her long history with allergies.
Prevalence of Adult Food Allergies in 2024
Recent data indicates that approximately 19% of U.S. adults report food allergies, with nearly half experiencing adult-onset allergies. Physician-diagnosed food allergies affect about 10.8% of adults nationwide.
Dr. Kelly O'Shea, an expert in allergy and immunology at the University of Michigan, explains that while most food allergies start in childhood, adult-onset allergies commonly involve shellfish and fish. Rarely, adults may develop allergies to other foods, including wheat.
Additionally, alpha-gal syndrome, triggered by tick bites, causes delayed allergic reactions to certain meats. Seasonal allergy sufferers may also develop pollen food allergy syndrome, causing mouth itching from raw fruits and vegetables due to cross-reactive proteins.
Roshay's Early Allergies and Ongoing Challenges
Roshay's allergy journey began as an infant when her mother noticed skin reactions during breastfeeding, necessitating an elimination diet. Tree nuts have posed a significant challenge, with varying reactions to cashews, pistachios, pine nuts, almonds, and peanuts. Dairy allergies cause sinus inflammation and constant sneezing.
While some childhood allergies like bananas and shellfish resolved in her twenties and thirties, sensitivities to dairy and nuts remain. Roshay also contends with asthma and eczema, which often flare alongside her allergies.
Challenges in Allergy Testing and Treatment
Roshay highlights the limitations of current allergy testing, which primarily detects true allergies but not sensitivities or intolerances. She recalls that immunotherapy treatments during high school were ineffective for her.
Medical experts emphasize that while intolerances cause discomfort, allergies involve immune responses that can be life-threatening. Despite the availability of some tests, no reliable methods exist to predict food sensitivities, and certain tests like IgG food panels are not recommended.
Effective Management Strategies for Food Allergies
Dr. O'Shea advises prompt evaluation by allergists for anyone suspecting food allergies, especially if symptoms like hives, vomiting, breathing difficulties, or swelling occur within two hours of eating. Diagnosis may involve skin and blood tests combined with clinical history.
The cornerstone of managing food allergies remains strict avoidance of allergens and carrying epinephrine autoinjectors for emergencies. Reading food labels vigilantly is essential to prevent accidental exposure.
Future Outlook: Advances in Food Allergy Treatments
Exciting advancements are underway, including oral immunotherapy options like Palforzia, approved to reduce peanut allergy risks. Research into biologics, vaccines, and novel immunotherapies offers hope for improved management in the coming decades.
Roshay's Personal Health Transformation
In 2021, Roshay collaborated with a physician blending Western and Eastern medicine approaches, embarking on a strict diet eliminating sugar, gluten, dairy, and high-histamine foods. This lifestyle change dramatically improved her skin, eczema, hydration, and allergy symptoms, allowing her to pause allergy medications for the first time in years.
She credits oat milk alternatives for easing dairy restrictions, opening new dietary possibilities despite nut allergies limiting other milk substitutes.
Roshay's journey underscores the empowerment gained through understanding and managing allergies proactively. Though a complete cure remains elusive, informed choices and awareness equip her to navigate her health confidently.
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