Egg Allergy Symptoms, Causes & Treatment

What is egg allergy?

An egg allergy is caused by the immune system overreacting to the egg.

An adverse reaction to a food, not caused by the immune system, is called food intolerance. Some patients develop stomach acidity or reflux after consuming certain foods like eggs. These are symptoms of food intolerance and not food allergy.

How prevalent is egg allergy?

Nearly 2% of young children are allergic to egg.

Can babies outgrow egg allergy?

66% of egg allergic children become tolerant to eggs by 5 years old.

What are the symptoms of egg allergy?

An egg allergy can involve many organ systems such as skin, respiratory, gastrointestinal and cardiovascular. In some cases multiple systems can react simultaneously causing a life threatening anaphylactic reaction.

Skin symptoms may include hives, flare up of eczema, swelling of eyes, lips, or mouth (angioedema).

Respiratory symptoms may be sneezing, runny nose, nasal blockage, wheezing, chest tightness, shortness of breath, or throat tightness.

Gastrointestinal symptoms may include vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal cramps or bloody stools in infants.

Cardiovascular symptoms may manifest by pale skin, faintness/dizziness, rapid heart rate, drop in blood pressure. Symptoms of a life threatening anaphylaxis reaction may include loss of consciousness, cessation of breathing or a stopped heart.

How soon after ingestion, do the symptoms occur?

Symptoms usually appear 30 minutes to 2 hours after the ingestion of food.

How is egg allergy detected?

This is done based on the history, physical examination followed by a positive reaction to the allergy test of the food trigger. Most allergists perform skin tests for allergies. Blood tests can also detect food allergies.

How is egg allergy treated?

Egg allergy is managed by strict avoidance of eggs and keeping injectable epinephrine and antihistamine available on hand for accidental exposure.

Is it ok to eat cookies or cake containing egg if you have an egg allergy?

Some patients with egg allergy can tolerate small amounts of egg proteins in cooked or baked form.

Is nursing safe for infants with egg allergy?
Food allergens ingested by the mother can be secreted in the breast milk. Nursing is safe if the mother avoids eggs.

When can egg be reintroduced?
Since children outgrow their egg allergy at different ages, this has to be assessed by the allergist based on the test results and the history of accidental ingestion.

How is a vaccine containing eggs administered in egg allergic patients?
Influenza and yellow fever vaccines both contain egg proteins. Consulting an allergist before receiving either vaccine is highly recommended. A skin test that determines patient's response to the vaccine may be needed prior to administration.