Outgrowing Allergies

by KYW's medical editor Dr. Brian McDonough

I have a question for you. Can you outgrow your allergies?

Having to worry about what you or your children may eat wherever they go is no fun, but the good news is that at least for milk and eggs, most people do eventually outgrow their allergies to these foods.

We now have several major studies including one from Johns Hopkins which shoot down the old theory that if you hadn’t outgrown your allergy by a certain age the die was cast and it would never happen. We know this is incorrect, and there are large numbers who are still outgrowing their allergies into adolescence and adulthood.

In the Johns Hopkins study 80 to 90% of milk and egg allergies were outgrown, but it took time. Many did not hit that 80 to 90% mark until age 16, 17, or 18. One theory is that for many children when they reach college their milk and egg allergies will be a thing of the past.