Rhinitis due to food allergies: fact or fiction?

Food allergy is often thought to be a cause of rhinitis by patients, whose views are frequently influenced by information obtained from the Internet. The incidence of food allergy in children is 2-8 per cent, although a vast majority will grow out of it, and food allergy is actually very rare in adults. Food allergy usually presents with multi-system involvement, most commonly cutaneous and gastrointestinal symptoms. Food allergy induced rhinitis is less common, and isolated rhinitis due to food allergy is extremely rare. Treatment for rhinitis due to food allergy is therefore rarely indicated. This review summarises the literature related to the incidence, diagnosis and management of food allergy and food allergy induced rhinitis.