Allergy is a phenomenon of pathological exaggeration of the immune response, in particular the inflammatory reaction, to an antigen generally foreign to the organism - we speak more precisely of an allergen in the case of allergy. It is a form of hypersensitivity. The treatments consisting in making the organism tolerant to the incriminated substance are called “desensitization”.

There are family predispositions - this is called “atopic terrain”. It can be an aggravating factor in some subjects and depending on the allergies developed. Allergy is popularly presented as a multifaceted disease, since a first allergy often announces a more general allergic ground.

The branch of medicine that studies allergies is allergology. The doctors who specialize in this disease are the allergists.

Food intolerance is a term used for a wide variety of physiological responses associated with particular foods. Unlike food allergy, it involves the metabolism, but not the immune system.

Food intolerance is a negative reaction, most often delayed in time, to a food, drink, or food additive. The difference from food allergy is the absence of IgE (Immunoglobulin E), a class of antibodies capable of triggering rare but severe reactions.

Food intolerance can take many forms, including:

Gluten intolerance Lactose intolerance Sucrose intolerance Fructose malabsorption

Symptoms Food hypersensitivity without IgE is more chronic, less acute and more difficult to diagnose than a food allergy2. Symptoms vary widely and can be easily confused with allergy symptoms. While allergy is associated with high IgE levels, it can be difficult to determine the exact cause of an intolerance because the body's response takes place over a period of time that can be prolonged.

Symptoms can involve the skin, respiratory tract, digestive system, or any combination of the three.

Food intolerance may be associated with irritable bowel syndrome and chronic inflammatory bowel disease.