Does your child have dark circles under his eyes? Does your daughter seem hyperactive at times, and fine others? Have you noticed your child has tummy problems or that he or she has a rash? Your child may be intolerant or allergic to a food or additive.

A food allergy is present when your body’s immune system makes an allergen antibody to something you have ingested. As an example, if you are allergic to eggs and consume them, your body will produce IgE (immunoglobulin) antibodies to the egg. When the IgE binds to the egg protein and the allergy cells, chemicals such as histamines are released, which will cause allergic reactions. Some of these symptoms are itching, rash or breathing problems.

A food intolerance occurs when you have a negative reaction to a food and the immune system is not involved in the reaction. A good example of this is lactose intolerance. Children and adults can have intolerances to both foods and additives. It is not uncommon for a person’s body to react negatively to MSG, food dyes, high fructose corn syrup, aspartame, sulfites and more. If your child is misbehaving or hyperactive and food allergies have been ruled out by allergy testing, keep a food journal to find what he or she is reacting to.

If you have food allergies, the only way to stop a reaction is to never ingest the allergen. Exposure to a food you are allergic to can cause serious, if not life threatening, reactions.