Food allergy is a common problem, affecting nearly 10% of children and 4% of adults in the United States. Many foods have been reported to cause allergies, though milk, egg, peanut, tree nuts, wheat, soy, seafood, and sesame are responsible for 90% of food allergies. The symptoms of food allergies can range from mild to life-threatening and can include hives, swelling, vomiting, breathing difficulties, and low blood pressure. The Institute for Asthma and Allergy is a leading center for the treatment of food allergies. The Center for Food Allergy is a clinic at the Institute for Asthma and Allergy where patients can receive expert diagnosis and treatment for food allergy concerns or existing food allergies.

CONDITIONS WE TREAT

Our allergists diagnosis and treat patients with a wide range of food allergy related concerns and diagnoses. Patients of any age can be seen in The Center for Food Allergy for the following:

  • Food allergies
  • Anaphylaxis
  • Eosinophilic esophagitis
  • Eosinophilic gastrointestinal disease
  • Eczema (in children 2 years of age and younger)
  • Hives (less than 6 weeks duration)
  • Swelling (less than 6 weeks duration)
  • Oral allergy syndrome (pollen-food allergy syndrome)
  • Food protein-induced enterocolitis syndrome (FPIES)

WHAT YOU GET IN OUR CENTER

Your journey begins with a partnership with one of our allergists skilled in food allergy care.

All our allergists are experts in:

  • Obtaining important and relevant medical history
  • Responsible utilization of allergy testing, including skin prick and lab-based tools
  • Oral food challenges (the gold standard test for food allergies)
  • Accurate interpretation of test results to give you the correct diagnosis

In addition to standard diagnostic tests, our center also utilizes tests for basophil activation and other cutting-edge immune biomarkers in-house for accurate diagnosis and for tracking progress with treatments. Your allergist will partner with you to determine what tests are needed to provide the best care possible.

TREATMENT

Different food allergy treatments are currently being studied across the world, including at our center, and many exciting advances and scientific discoveries have already been made. The Center for Food Allergy offers various therapies for food allergy, including personalized oral immunotherapy (OIT) to treat food allergies. If interested, you can discuss potential therapies with your allergist.

RESEARCH

We believe in the value of research so we can help advance the field and offer the most cutting-edge therapies to our patients. Our center conducts clinical trials for food allergy treatments, and we cannot do this without you! If you are interested in participating in a food allergy clinical trial, please check out our current studies.

CURRENT RESEARCH STUDIES (Please contact our clinical trials unit at 301-986-0670)

  • Phase 1b/2a study to evaluate nanoparticle therapy for patients age 16 to 55 years old with peanut allergy (to begin February 2023)