I have read that an allergy is more of an immunological reaction to the food, whereas an intolerance is like a pharmacological response to certain components of the food. With an allergy, you get specific and fairly immediate reactions0--rash or immediate vomiting, for example. With an intolerance you might get migraines, IBS, or even behavior and mood problems. Intolerance doesn't usually occur as quickly--If you're allergic to a food, you get an almost immediate reaction; with an intolerance reactions may be delayed or build up over several days, making it hard to identify what the cause is. Allergic reactions can be to tiny amounts; intolerances can be related to the amount--you may not react to a little bit, but a lot will make you sick. Allergies will also show up on standard allergy testing, while intolerances may or may not.
I'm not a doctor either, just read this somewhere and thought it was an interesting comparison. It seems that, whichever it is, the treatment is the same--avoiding the thing that causes the reaction.
So great that you're feeling better without dairy! Congratulations!!!!
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
Posts
Allergy vs. Intolerance
