Food allergies can make eating away from home challenging, but your child can learn how to manage his or her allergies through careful planning.
Be sure that anyone preparing meals for your child knows of his or her allergy in order to prevent cross-contamination (for instance by sharing utensils). Furthermore, discuss whether an emergency epinephrine autoinjector would be beneficial.
What is a food allergy?
Food allergies are serious conditions, ranging from localized itching of lips and mouth (oral allergy syndrome) to life-threatening anaphylaxis. Any food can cause an allergy reaction – from peanuts, dairy products, eggs and shellfish to vegetables, fruits and seeds like linseed. Food allergies can develop both during childhood development or later as adults.
Food allergies cause their immune systems to overreact when exposed to specific proteins found in certain foods, triggering their bodies to produce IgE antibodies and release chemicals such as histamine that trigger symptoms within two hours after eating the allergenic food, such as skin, respiratory, digestive or cardiovascular symptoms.
An allergist or doctor can diagnose food allergies through performing a skin prick test. Diluted extract of food is applied directly onto the skin and any reaction – such as wheals – indicates allergy. A blood test can also be done to measure IgE antibodies. Depending on individual circumstances, someone might also be asked to consume slowly increasing amounts of the problem food under close observation to determine their tolerance level; otherwise a registered dietitian can help ensure a balanced diet while avoiding their trigger foods.
What are the symptoms of a food allergy?
Food allergies occur when your immune system misunderstands certain proteins found in food as harmful invaders, prompting it to produce antibodies and release chemicals that result in symptoms like hives or an itchy throat. A severe reaction, known as anaphylaxis, may even cause swelling of airways, difficulty breathing, and low blood pressure.
Food allergies typically appear within two hours after consuming offending foods, though symptoms may take several hours to surface. They may affect any part of the body and move from location to location over time; additionally, they may also produce digestive symptoms, such as bellyache or diarrhea.
People with food allergies should keep a food diary to help identify what causes their symptoms and their severity. Be sure to make note of when symptoms occur, how long they last, any medications taken to alleviate them as well as how much offending food was eaten and where and how it was prepared.
Your healthcare provider can diagnose food allergies through a physical exam and medical history review, including any additional health conditions like eczema and asthma. They may also conduct allergy skin tests which involve injecting small amounts of the allergen onto your skin in small doses to check for an allergic response.
How do I treat a food allergy?
As soon as you experience symptoms of food allergy, it is crucial that you visit a health care professional immediately. This will allow the physician to properly diagnose IgE (immunoglobulin E)-mediated allergies which could potentially lead to anaphylaxis – a potentially life-threatening allergic reaction with symptoms including difficulty breathing and low blood pressure that can even prove fatal.
Your doctor will conduct skin prick testing or blood testing to pinpoint which foods are triggering an allergic response in you, while a food challenge, where slowly increasing amounts of the problem food are consumed under medical supervision, may also assist in diagnosing it.
Once diagnosed with food allergy, your physician will advise that you refrain from eating the offending items and carry an emergency epinephrine auto-injector such as Adrenaclick, Auvi-Q or EpiPen for accidental exposures. He or she will also devise an allergy treatment plan specifically tailored for you.
Avoiding foods you are allergic to is challenging, but can become easier over time. Speaking with a registered dietitian or nutritionist can provide helpful strategies for navigating around specific foods while still getting all of the necessary nutrition. Special cookbooks and online groups for people with food allergies may also prove invaluable. Finally, be sure to inform key people such as school staff or childcare providers of any allergies related to you or your child; an identification bracelet or necklace featuring that message would also be a useful reminder.
What can I do to prevent a food allergy?
Food allergies are best avoided by avoiding those foods to which you are sensitive. Your immune system misperceives certain foods as threats and releases antibodies to protect itself against them; these antibodies then produce symptoms like hives, swelling in the mouth or throat, stomach pain and difficulty breathing – or even lower blood pressure!
At your appointment, it is essential that you provide your doctor with a detailed account of when and why your symptoms began. Once this information has been gathered, your care team can conduct tests to pinpoint which foods may be triggering problems; one such test is called a skin prick test where a small amount of the suspected allergen is applied directly onto either your forearm or back in order to observe any reactions from you.
Other tests may include blood tests or an oral food challenge in which small amounts of allergens are eaten under controlled conditions to measure how your body responds. Your care team will also discuss ways to manage your allergy, such as ways to limit exposure and nonprescription medicines that can alleviate symptoms.
Your doctor will create an action plan, which you should share with family, friends, school staff and caregivers. This document outlines symptoms of an allergic reaction as well as ways to treat it effectively with medications such as an emergency dose of epinephrine auto-injector. Make sure it’s always within reach; seconds count in anaphylaxis situations!
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