If you have asthma, you may experience symptoms like wheezing, coughing, chest tightness or difficulty breathing when you are exposed to certain foods. According to an October 2010 study published in the "Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology," people who have a food allergy are more likely to develop severe asthma and experience life threatening asthma attacks. Because food allergies can be different from one person to the next, knowing your personal food triggers can help you manage your asthma and allergy better.
Peanuts and Nuts
About 6 percent of the U.S. population suffers from a peanut allergy and 0.5 percent suffers from a nut allergy, notes a 2006 publication of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. A peanut allergy is potentially severe and frequently causes anaphylaxis in patients with asthma and allergy. The allergy-causing proteins of nuts and peanuts are very stable and do not break down on cooking or processing, so avoid exposure yourself to peanuts and all kinds of tree nuts if you have peanut or single tree nut allergy.
Seafood
Allergies to seafoods, which include crustaceans and mollusks, are another frequent cause of anaphylaxis in people with asthma and allergy. You may experience an allergic reaction to seafood when you consume it or inhale the cooking fumes. Also, people are more likely to have an allergic reaction to different types of seafood, so if you have a diagnosed allergy to only one kind of seafood, avoid all kinds until your doctor clears you of other seafood allergies.
Food Additives
Although rare, food additives have been observed to cause asthma in some individuals, according to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. The attacks ranged from mild wheezing to severe or life-threatening. The most common additives that trigger an asthma attack include monosodium glutamate, benzoates, tartrazines and sulfites. You are likely to find food additives in flavorings, colorings, preservatives, sweeteners, thickeners and many other processed foods.
Wheat and Others
Baker's asthma is a work-related lung disease that develops in people exposed to flour or mold-derived enzymes used as flour substitute. Eating wheat will not cause allergy or asthma in those with baker's asthma. However, some people develop asthma whenever they eat wheat after an exercise. Further, exercise induced asthma is potentially lifelong, so take extra precautions if you have a wheat allergy and asthma, or experience breathing difficulties after an exercise regimen. Other foods that may trigger exercise induced asthma include celery, chicken, grapes, tomato, dairy products and matsutake mushroom.
