Food allergies

I wanted to ask how you are defining these two words. My husband, for instance, has an allergy to mushrooms, although even he says it's more of a food sensitivity. But I doubt he can take something for it; he gets violently ill when a food has even been cooked with mushrooms (it's not enough to just take them out, the food has to be prepared again). And when I say violently ill, I mean it comes out of both ends, depending on his level of exposure. I think his lightest reaction has been his stomach doing "flip-flops." Anyway, I know that even though it's bad, it's not the same as his throat contracting and him needing to get to an emergency room. But it has made a difference in what we can do. A trip to the Olive Garden ruined a concert for him because the menu didn't say anything about mushrooms, so he has to be very careful. So I just wondered, are you defining "intolerance" as anything other than a swelling/itching/asthma type reaction?

That sounds like an allergy to me. Vomiting (etc) can definitely be an allergic reaction (I know because I've had it, ew). Of course, your husband is probably more aware of whether it's an allergy or not. Has he talked to any doctors about it? What have they said? Anyway, I agree with you on the matter of whether he could take anything for it--I really doubt it as well.

I would consider his reaction to mushrooms an allergy, but even if for some medical reason it's not, he'd be welcome to categorize it as such for things like this poll!!