Food allergies occur when an immune system mistakenly recognizes food proteins as potentially hazardous invaders and reacts accordingly, potentially leading to anaphylaxis, which if left untreated can prove fatal.
People with food allergies should avoid foods known to trigger symptoms by taking allergy tests.
Symptoms
Food allergies vary from person to person and typically appear within minutes or hours of eating an allergen. While symptoms usually are limited to skin or digestive discomfort, severe reactions require immediate medical intervention such as injectable epinephrine (adrenaline).
Sometimes our immune systems mistakenly recognize certain proteins found in food as threats and release antibodies to fight it off, leading to reactions such as hives and swelling, an upset stomach or difficulty breathing. If serious reactions ensue they could even result in drop blood pressure that requires treatment with injectable epinephrine immediately – potentially fatal without prompt treatment with injectable epinephrine.
Delayed food allergy symptoms, including gastrointestinal distress and diarrhea, are frequently experienced by children with eczema associated with milk allergy or red meat allergy triggered by lone star tick bites. In these instances, symptoms typically arise two to six hours post consumption of the food and often mimic viral or bacterial illnesses.
Many food allergies may subside as we age, although peanuts, tree nuts and shellfish allergies often persist into adulthood. If your child or you has one of these allergens, make sure to inform key people such as childcare providers, teachers and coaches, as well as packing a safe snack when traveling or attending events.
Diagnosis
If you suspect your or your child have food allergies, visit a healthcare provider immediately. Your healthcare provider can take an extensive history and conduct tests to understand why reactions occur in you or them; tracking foods over time to see if any may outgrow their allergies could also be part of their approach to care.
Peanuts, milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, soy and wheat are the most often problematic foods; however, reactions can occur to other food items as well. Individuals suffering from asthma or other allergic conditions such as rhinitis may be at higher risk for food allergy development than others.
Skin prick tests can help determine whether you’re allergic to specific foods, by measuring IgE antibodies to them. If they detect an allergenic reaction, that means you must avoid that food. Blood tests are another great way of testing for food allergies – these measure IgE antibody levels against specific food, and if these levels rise significantly it indicates you’re sensitive.
If skin prick and blood tests don’t provide definitive answers, your allergist may suggest an oral food challenge test. This involves eating small amounts of the food under suspicion while your allergist observes for signs of allergic reaction; should any occur, they will prescribe emergency medication such as Epinephrine (adrenaline) as necessary and show you how to use it effectively.
Treatment
Food allergies occur when our immune systems mistakenly perceive certain foods as threats and release antibodies against it, which leads to symptoms like hives (hives), swelling of lips or tongue, wheezing, or difficulty breathing. Extreme reactions known as anaphylaxis require immediate medical intervention with injectable epinephrine injection.
Your doctor can diagnose food allergies through an interview and physical exam, followed by either a skin test or blood test to detect allergies. With the latter method, a provider places a droplet of suspected allergen on your arm or back; your body reacts in similar fashion if this test were food.
Food challenges, supervised experiments performed under medical and nursing supervision, may provide definitive diagnosis for people suspected of food allergies. A food challenge involves eating small quantities of a food under observation. If you have had severe reactions in the past, your doctor may advise carrying an adrenaline shot (Adrenaclick, Auvi-Q or EpiPen) for self-treatment if symptoms begin. Although medications are available to treat symptoms once they occur, ultimately avoidance is the only permanent solution; to safely introduce new foods into your diet talk to your physician about safe ways of adding them gradually into your diet if your history of allergies or intolerances is longer active.
Prevention
Infants of biological parents suffering from allergic conditions like atopic dermatitis, allergic rhinitis or asthma have an increased risk of food allergies as infants grow older. Furthermore, those who already have eczema or siblings with such allergies are also at higher risk.
Food allergies are most often seen among babies and children, although symptoms can impact anyone at any age. Peanut, cow’s milk, eggs, tree nuts, fish and shellfish allergies tend to persist over time – typically within minutes to an hour of eating the offending food, symptoms may include hives, swelling of mouth or throat area, difficulty breathing or anaphylaxis (drop in blood pressure).
Avoiding allergens that trigger symptoms is the key to treating food allergies, so always read ingredient labels and be wary that certain products could contain your trigger allergen even if it is not listed as such. Your allergist may suggest performing a food challenge test whereby they provide you with small amounts of the suspected allergenic food under careful observation to test for allergies.
Inform yourself and your family of food allergies. When dining out, carry an allergy card listing the foods to which you or your child are sensitive and instructions for alerting servers of them. Keep an epinephrine autoinjector handy; ensure it has been prescribed by a physician, and that you know how to use it effectively.
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