Background:

Food allergy is considered a typical problem in the pediatric population, however, cases occur in adults more frequently.

Objective:

To determine the prevalence of food allergy in patients with allergic rhinitis and asthma; as well as the foods and symptoms most related to said problem.

Methods:

Through a cross-sectional study, the information of 257 adults with asthma or allergic rhinitis was analyzed. The information related to food allergy was obtained through a standardized interview; the confidence intervals (CI) were calculated for 95% proportions.

Results:

The prevalence of food allergy was 17.5% (95% CI = 13.3% to 22.6%). The main foods that caused symptoms were soy, shrimp, almonds, avocado and peanuts. The majority of patients who were allergic to a single food were 35.6%, two foods were 17.8% and three foods were 17.8%. The most frequent affections of food allergy were oral (62.2%): itching of the pharynx, tongue and palate; respiratory (26.7%), dyspnea and sneezing; and skin (26.7%), itching and hives.

Conclusions:

Food allergy in adults with asthma or allergic rhinitis is a common problem. Oral symptoms are the main ailments in this type of patients and are mainly caused by soy.

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