What You Need to Know About Food and Asthma

Often, symptoms are exacerbated by what are known as triggers. These are irritants are found in the home and all around you. They include things like dust mites, tiny insects that dwell in dust, pet dander, the tiny particles of skin shed by pets with fur and feathers, cigarette smoke, air pollution, and changes in the weather such as cold air and low humidity, which decrease respiratory function and increase inflammation in those with asthma. With so many triggers for asthma, it’s natural to wonder: What about the food I eat?

While food isn’t typically known to trigger asthma symptoms, there may be an indirect connection between the two. Some studies have found that kids with food allergies are often later diagnosed with asthma as well. At the same time, children with asthma are more sensitive to food allergens. There’s also a correlation between food allergies, asthma, and atopic dermatitis. Research shows a whopping 81% of kids with atopic dermatitis, a known risk factor for asthma, develop a food allergy later in life. We know, it’s complicated.

On the flip side, “the vast majority of people with asthma do not have to avoid any specific food or follow a special diet,” says David R. Stukus, M.D., a spokesperson for the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) and director of the Food Allergy Treatment Center at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, OH. “While many people follow an allergic pathway with eczema in infancy, followed by food allergies, then environmental allergies, and asthma, just having a diagnosis of asthma does not mean you need to worry about food allergies.”

The real risk isn’t so much that your burger and fries will trigger a flare, but rather, if you have asthma as well as food allergies, asthma may make your allergies even worse. “If someone has a true food allergy, then exposure to that food can cause an allergic reaction, which can trigger asthma symptoms like wheezing and chest tightness,” says Payel Gupta, M.D., a New York City-based spokesperson for the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology.

According to AAFA, a staggering 32 million people have food allergies in the U.S., including 26 million adults and 5.6 million children. Milk is the most common allergen for children, followed by eggs and peanuts, while shellfish is the most common allergen for adults, followed by peanuts, and tree nuts. Now that you know the facts, it’s important to understand the symptoms and how to tell an asthma attack from a food allergy reaction.

“Asthma will only cause respiratory symptoms such as cough, wheeze, or difficulty breathing and can be triggered by a wide variety of things including viral infections, cigarette smoke, weather changes, and exercise,” Dr. Stukus says. “This is very different than a food allergy reaction, which occurs suddenly and very soon after ingestion of a food allergen.” Food allergy reactions may include respiratory symptoms, but more frequently cause hives and vomiting, he adds. Severe allergic reactions may even cause anaphylaxis (more on that next).

A severe allergic reaction, anaphylaxis, can occur right after having contact with an allergen (such as food, medicines, insects, and latex). It often involves more than one part of the body such as the skin, mouth, eyes, lungs, heart, gut, and brain, and can get worse real fast. Symptoms may include skin rashes, itching, hives, swelling of the lips, tongue, or throat, shortness of breath, trouble breathing, wheezing, dizziness and/or fainting, stomach pain, vomiting, or diarrhea. If not treated quickly with epinephrine, it can become life threatening.

If there is a category of food that might exacerbate asthma, it’s this one. “Sulfites are preservatives that help to slow the discoloration and browning of foods,” Dr. Gupta says. “When people are sensitive to sulfites and eat foods or drinks containing them, their asthma can be triggered.” High-sulfite foods include dried fruits and vegetables, packaged potatoes, wine and beer, bottled lime and lemon juice, shrimp, and pickled foods. The good news: “Less than 5 percent of adults with asthma may experience breathing difficulty if they eat foods high in sulfites,” Dr. Stukus, says.

Vitamin D is the building block for a host of body functions and helps your body absorb nutrients like calcium, magnesium, and phosphate more effectively. What’s more, it’s super important to bone health, since the body’s only way of absorbing calcium is when vitamin D is around. As it turns out, studies show increasing vitamin D intake may help reduce the risk of severe asthma attacks by 50%. Research also indicated that pregnant moms with asthma who take vitamin D throughout their pregnancy may reduce the rates of asthma in their kids.

Ultimately, the best way to keep symptoms under control is by coming up with an asthma action plan along with your doctor and exploring proven medications that are known to help. Your doctor will help you find the right combo of meds, including controller medications to keep airways less inflamed, decrease mucus buildup, and ease muscle tightening. For more severe asthma symptoms, your doctor may recommend beta antagonists and an inhaled steroid as well as quick-relief rescue inhalers to help the muscles around the airway relax.