Is it ever acceptable to 'ignore' a mild reaction?

[harpagon]

My 20-month-old son is allergic to milk, eggs, wheat, sesame, lentils, peas, chickpeas, peanuts and almonds. All of these have been confirmed by skin prick and blood tests. His reactions to milk, sesame and lentils are severe, systemic and involve wheezing. However, his reactions to peas and chickpeas only involve hives on his face. I've also noticed that he gets occasional hives when eating baked beans and sardines.

Should I 'ignore' these mild symptoms for the sake of a good diet? Many freefrom foods contain pea or chickpea flour, and baked beans and sardines have so far been the staples of his diet (I've avoided them since noticing the hives).

This question did not arise during our last appointment with our paediatrician, as there were so many other issues to discuss in the limited time available. I'd be grateful for your answer!

[Dr Adam Fox]

unfortunately, it may be a mild reaction on one occasion but a more severe one next time. The allergen itself is not the only thing that determines the severity of the reaction - the amount you eat and your state of health are also important so whilst reactions may always have been mild to chickpea, on the wrong day, a severe reaction may occur.