Understanding Food Allergy: Causes and Treatment

Meaning 1：Food allergy (Food allergy)

Food allergy 🔊

/fuːd ˈæl.ər.dʒi/

A condition where the body's immune system reacts badly to a certain type of food.

Food allergy 🔊

➕

/fuːd ˈæl.ər.dʒi/

A medical condition where the immune system mistakenly identifies a specific food protein as harmful and triggers a defensive reaction, ranging from mild hives to life-threatening anaphylaxis.

📁 Category：Diet & Health 🔖 Level：Intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

From 'food' (nourishment) + 'allergy' (Greek 'allos' other + 'ergon' work).

💡 Mnemonic

Imagine your immune system attacking your favorite snack as if it were a germ.

📖 Example

Before ordering, the waiter politely asked if anyone at our table had a food allergy. 🔊 Before ordering, the waiter politely asked if anyone at our table had a food allergy.

🔗 Collocations

have a food allergy – suffer from a food allergy

severe food allergy – a very serious food allergy

treat a food allergy – to manage a food allergy medically

🔄 Synonyms

food hypersensitivity (n.) – An umbrella term for any adverse reaction to food, including allergic and non-allergic responses.

dietary allergy (n.) – Another term for food allergy, emphasizing the role of diet.

🌱 Derivatives

food-allergic (adj.) – having a food allergy

food allergen (n.) – a food substance that triggers an allergic reaction

📖 Cultural Story

The term 'allergy' was coined in 1906 by Austrian pediatrician Clemens von Pirquet. Food allergy specifically describes an immune response to food proteins, often first identified in childhood.