DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I'm a grandmother to three wonderful grandchildren. My oldest grandchild is lactose intolerant. Recently, my youngest grandchild was diagnosed with a peanut allergy. What is the difference between food intolerance and allergy?
ANSWER: Life at the dinner table is different for thousands of people in the U.S. living with a food allergy. Recent studies show that approximately 5% of children under the age of 5 and 3% of adults have food allergies.
Food allergies and intolerances often are confused for one another. The symptoms can be similar.
