# Is it possible to develops food allergies late in life? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 20, 2014, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-develops-food-allergies-late-in-life/707765 "2014-12-20T20:14:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![obbn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/d6d6ee/32.png) [@obbn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obbn)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2014, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-develops-food-allergies-late-in-life/707765/1 "2014-12-20T20:14:23Z")
Hello Everyone, To be clear, I am not asking for medical advice, YANAD, but I am asking if something is possible. I have never been allergic to anything in my life, I’m 48 now. I’ve noticed over the last 6 months that each and every time I eat anything my nose starts to run and I have to blow my nose. WTF? Is it possible to develop a food allergy at my age? ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2014, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-develops-food-allergies-late-in-life/707765/2 "2014-12-20T20:17:59Z")
> [@obbn](#): > > Hello Everyone, > > To be clear, I am not asking for medical advice, YANAD, but I am asking if something is possible. I have never been allergic to anything in my life, I’m 48 now. I’ve noticed over the last 6 months that each and every time I eat anything my nose starts to run and I have to blow my nose. WTF? Is it possible to develop a food allergy at my age? _Everything_ you eat causes this reaction? Not just some foods? ---
**Author:** ![obbn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/d6d6ee/32.png) [@obbn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obbn)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2014, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-develops-food-allergies-late-in-life/707765/3 "2014-12-20T20:25:11Z")
Yes, everything. I eat, my nose starts to run and I get post nasal drip. It’s freaky. I’ll be mentioning it to my doc next visit. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2014, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-develops-food-allergies-late-in-life/707765/4 "2014-12-20T20:36:11Z")
May not be an allergy. Your upper teeth are rooted into your sinuses and chewing anything may be causing irritation. I don’t know about food allergies in particular coming on late in life, but reactions to some chemicals can start up at any point in life, and people who claim lifelong immunity to poison ivy sometimes end up wishing they’d been more cautious. ---
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2014, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-develops-food-allergies-late-in-life/707765/5 "2014-12-20T21:09:03Z")
> [@obbn](#): > > Hello Everyone, > > To be clear, I am not asking for medical advice, YANAD, but I am asking if something is possible. I have never been allergic to anything in my life, I’m 48 now. I’ve noticed over the last 6 months that each and every time I eat anything my nose starts to run and I have to blow my nose. WTF? Is it possible to develop a food allergy at my age? A boss I had became allergic to peanuts around 45. ---
**Author:** ![chiroptera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@chiroptera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chiroptera)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2014, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-develops-food-allergies-late-in-life/707765/6 "2014-12-20T21:41:48Z")
I was going to answer that yes, it’s very possible to develop [adult-onset allergies](http://www.webmd.com/allergies/features/adult-onset-allergies). I never had an allergic reaction to anything that I know of, but in my early 50s started getting seasonal allergies. And an almost 60-year-old friend is pretty sure that as of last year (bumper crops of tomatoes) she had developed an allergy, or at least intolerance to, tomatoes. But “every time you eat anything” doesn’t sound plausible for an allergy. IANAD but I think allergies are fairly specific. I agree with checking with both your doctor and your dentist. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2014, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-develops-food-allergies-late-in-life/707765/7 "2014-12-21T01:22:50Z")
Yes, you can get allergies as an adult. You can develop an allergy at _any_ age. However, what you’re talking about doesn’t sound exactly like an allergy. Definitely do mention it to your doctor. ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2014, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-develops-food-allergies-late-in-life/707765/8 "2014-12-21T02:01:37Z")
Doesn’t sound like the OP has an allergy. With that said I had an allergist tell me that people can and indeed do develop food allergies late in life and it can be to a degree that can be dangerous. I had thought I was getting an allergy to wheat products (I was wrong) which is how the conversation started. ---
**Author:** ![apollonia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/2bfe46/32.png) [@apollonia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/apollonia)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2014, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-develops-food-allergies-late-in-life/707765/9 "2014-12-21T02:40:25Z")
Sounds like it may be [gustatory rhinitis.](http://www.healthmedicinemagazine.com/gustatory-rhinitis/) Mention it to a doctor, though, to rule out anything worse.