Food reactions aren't always allergies. Get a free, print-ready action plan — then take it to a clinician.
Milk, egg, peanut, tree nuts, soy, wheat, fish, shellfish, and sesame cause most food reactions in the United States. But "IgE food allergy," "food sensitivity," "intolerance," and "celiac disease" are different conditions with different tests and different treatments. Treating an intolerance like anaphylaxis — or an IgE allergy like a "sensitivity" — is how people get hurt or over-restricted.
- Epinephrine at the first sign of a severe reaction — then call 911
- Dose band for age and weight; carry two devices
- Peanut and shrimp: consistent with IgE allergy — confirm with testing
- Milk: pattern suggests intolerance, not allergy
- Specific-IgE and component testing for peanut and shrimp
- Immunotherapy or an anti-IgE biologic — why each may be relevant to you, and the question to ask
Tell us each food, the worst reaction, the medications, and what you want. We'll give you a plan you can act on.
Many people live for years with a "food allergy" that has never been confirmed, or with a real allergy and no written plan. The Allergy Action Plan organizes your history, explains what your pattern most likely is, lays out every option an allergist would consider, and gives you the exact questions to ask.
It is educational: built from your answers, not reviewed by a clinician, and it does not tell you what treatment to get. If you want a clinician to review and sign it, you can book a video visit in one step.
Inside every plan
- A per-food reaction history, including how little it took and how fast it happened
- When to give epinephrine — including the first-sign rule — with the dose band for your age and weight
- Whether your pattern looks like IgE allergy, intolerance, sensitivity, or celiac — and why
- Every option a clinician may consider — avoidance, testing, immunotherapy, biologics — with a note on why each may be relevant to you
- Avoidance lists, hidden ingredient names, and cross-contact tips for each food
- A path to a Curex Medical clinician who can confirm the diagnosis and sign the plan
Nine foods cause most reactions. They don't behave the same way.
U.S. law requires these nine to be labeled. Whether an allergy persists, how severe reactions tend to be, and what testing looks like differ from food to food — your plan is built per food.
Milk
Most common in infants; many outgrow it. Baked-milk tolerance is often the first sign.
Egg
Often childhood-onset; baked-egg tolerance is possible and can speed outgrowing it.
Peanut
Frequently persists; reactions can be severe. Component testing helps separate true allergy from cross-sensitization.
Tree nuts
Almond, cashew, walnut, pistachio, and others — often lifelong, and often not all of them.
Soy
More common in children; frequently outgrown. Highly refined soy oil is usually tolerated.
Wheat
Distinct from celiac disease and gluten sensitivity — different tests, different management.
Fish
Often starts later in life; usually persists. Allergy to one fish does not always mean all fish.
Shellfish
Shrimp, crab, lobster — a leading adult-onset allergen, and the most common cause of adult food anaphylaxis.
Sesame
The ninth major U.S. allergen, required on labels since 2023. Hides in tahini, hummus, and many baked goods.
Four different conditions. Four different plans.
Your plan uses timing, symptoms, and amount to tell you which pattern your history most resembles — and which test would settle it.
| Condition | What it is | Timing and symptoms | How it is diagnosed |
|---|---|---|---|
| IgE food allergy | The immune system makes IgE antibodies to a food protein. | Typically rapid — minutes to two hours. Hives, swelling, vomiting, wheeze, or anaphylaxis. | Clinical history plus skin-prick or specific-IgE blood testing; oral food challenge when unclear. |
| Food sensitivity | A loose, non-medical term. It is not the same as IgE allergy. | Vague, variable, often delayed. | Commercial IgG food panels are not recommended for diagnosing allergy. Elimination and reintroduction under guidance. |
| Intolerance | A digestive issue, not an immune attack. Lactose intolerance is the classic example. | Gas, bloating, diarrhea — uncomfortable, not anaphylaxis. Usually dose-dependent. | History, breath testing for lactose, dietary trial. |
| Celiac disease | An autoimmune reaction to gluten that damages the small intestine. Not an IgE food allergy. | Digestive symptoms, fatigue, anemia, growth issues in children; can be silent. | Blood tests plus biopsy — not an allergy panel. Keep eating gluten until tested. |
Testing answers a question. It is not the question.
A positive test without a matching history often means sensitization, not allergy — and over-restriction has real costs, especially for children. Your plan records the history first so that any test is ordered for a reason.
Clinical history
Still the most important test. What you ate, how fast it happened, and what it looked like.
Skin-prick testing
A tiny amount of allergen is placed on the skin. Done in person; antihistamines must be stopped first.
Specific IgE blood test
Measures IgE to foods. Useful when skin testing isn't possible — and can be ordered before you ever see the allergist.
Component testing
Looks at individual proteins (for example Ara h 2 in peanut) to separate high-risk allergy from cross-reactivity.
Oral food challenge
The gold standard. Food is eaten in a supervised clinic to confirm — or rule out — an allergy.
What to skip
IgG food panels, hair analysis, and unvalidated "sensitivity" kits. They do not diagnose allergy and lead to needless restriction.
Avoidance is the start. It is no longer the only tool.
Every plan lists every option. Your answers add a note on why an option may or may not be relevant to you — a conversation starter for your visit, not a prescription. The decision belongs to you and your clinician.
Avoidance
The foundation. Learn labels, hidden ingredient names, and cross-contact. Your plan includes an avoidance list for each food. Ask: which related foods do I actually need to avoid?
Epinephrine
First-line for anaphylaxis; antihistamines do not replace it. If you've had breathing symptoms, throat tightness, or a reaction involving two body systems, national guidelines say carry it. Ask: do I need a prescription or refill, and which device form is right for me?
Antihistamines
Helpful for isolated hives or itch. Never a substitute for epinephrine in a serious reaction.
Immunotherapy
Oral immunotherapy (OIT) can raise the amount of a food it takes to cause a reaction; sublingual approaches are also used. Often considered when the goal is protection from accidental exposure, especially for one or two foods in children. Ask: is this an option for me, and what would it involve?
Biologics (anti-IgE)
An anti-IgE biologic is FDA-approved to reduce allergic reactions after accidental exposure in people aged one and older with IgE food allergy, and is sometimes considered for multiple food allergies or a history of severe reactions. It is used alongside avoidance, not instead of it. Ask: am I a candidate, and what testing is needed to find out?
Emerging options
Epicutaneous (patch) immunotherapy and food sublingual immunotherapy are advancing through trials. Ask: is a clinical trial relevant for me?
Digestive evaluation
Delayed, digestive-only symptoms are often not an IgE allergy at all. Ask: should I see a gastroenterologist, and should I keep eating the food until I'm tested?
Epinephrine now comes in more than one form.
Your clinician chooses which is right for you. Your plan makes sure you know how to use whichever one you carry — and that it hasn't expired.
Auto-injector pen
The most familiar form. Outer thigh, through clothing if needed, hold for the count the device specifies, then call 911. Carry two.
Compact auto-injector
Smaller devices that fit a pocket; some talk you through the steps aloud.
Nasal spray
A needle-free option: one spray in one nostril. Approved above a weight threshold your clinician will confirm.
Illustrations are generic and do not depict any specific product. This page does not recommend any device.
A plan in eight minutes. A clinician in days, if you want one.
Your plan
Each food, the worst reaction, medications, and goals. Your plan is on screen immediately, print-ready, and sent to your email.
Coordinator call
If you ask to see a clinician, a bilingual care coordinator checks your insurance and expected cost, completes your history, and orders lab work.
Lab work
Blood draw at Quest, Labcorp, at home, or by mail-in kit — whichever is easiest and best covered for you.
Video visit
Live video visit with a clinician on an allergist-led team. Diagnosis confirmed or ruled out, and a signed plan.
Your care team
Follow-up, refills, school and workplace forms, and in-person care near you when a treatment requires it.
Before you start
Can I have a food allergy if I ate that food for years?
Yes. Adult-onset food allergy is real and most often involves shellfish, fish, tree nuts, or peanut. Allergy can also appear after a long gap without eating a food. A new reaction to a familiar food deserves evaluation, not dismissal.
Does a positive blood test mean I must avoid the food?
Not by itself. A positive specific-IgE result shows sensitization, and many sensitized people eat the food without any reaction. Test results are interpreted alongside your history; when the two disagree, a supervised oral food challenge settles it. Restricting foods on test results alone causes needless harm.
Is celiac a wheat allergy?
No. Celiac disease is an autoimmune reaction to gluten that damages the small intestine; wheat allergy is an IgE reaction to wheat proteins. They are diagnosed with different tests and managed differently. If celiac is suspected, keep eating gluten until testing is done or the tests can be falsely negative.
When should I use epinephrine?
At the first sign of a severe reaction — trouble breathing, throat tightness, widespread hives with vomiting, faintness — or when two body systems are involved after a known allergen. Use it, then call 911. Antihistamines do not treat anaphylaxis. Your plan spells this out for your age and weight.
Can children outgrow food allergies?
Often, for milk, egg, soy, and wheat. Less often for peanut, tree nuts, fish, and shellfish. Falling IgE levels and tolerance of baked forms are signs it may be happening; a supervised challenge confirms it.
Is this action plan a diagnosis?
No. The plan is generated from your answers using rules based on published guidelines, and it is clearly labeled as not reviewed by a clinician. It organizes your history, tells you which pattern it resembles, and prepares you for a visit. A clinician confirms the diagnosis and signs the plan.
Will the plan tell me which treatment I should get?
No. It lists the options an allergist may consider, explains why each may or may not be relevant to your history, and gives you the questions to ask. It is a conversation starter, not a prescription: no option is appropriate for you until a licensed clinician has evaluated you. That decision belongs to you and your clinician.
What does it cost, and what happens to my information?
The plan is free. A video visit is billed to insurance, or $99 self-pay; an allergy test is $199 self-pay. Your answers are held by Curex under its privacy policy and, once you become a patient, under HIPAA. You can ask us to delete your information at any time.
I'm a parent. Can I do this for my child?
Yes. Choose "a child" at the start; the plan adjusts emergency medication guidance for age and weight, and you complete the visit together.
Eight minutes. A plan you can print, share, and take to a clinician.
Free, for adults and children. No appointment, no commitment.