Avoiding food allergens can be challenging, but there are ways people can stay safe.
Allergies to milk, eggs, wheat and soy tend to dissipate over time; those allergic to peanuts, shellfish or fish tend to remain lifelong issues and should always keep an emergency kit with an epinephrine injection handy in their possession.
Symptoms
Food allergies occur when the immune system mistakenly perceives food as a threat and reacts strongly, producing symptoms such as hives, swelling and difficulty breathing. Anaphylaxis can be life-threatening and requires immediate medical care.
Food allergies typically show themselves within two hours after eating the offending food, although symptoms may take four or more hours to manifest in rare instances. While children may outgrow some allergies over time, others like peanuts, milk, eggs and shellfish tend to remain persistently problematic for life.
Food allergy symptoms often manifest themselves with skin rashes called “hives,” however they can also affect other parts of the body. Swelling in lips, tongue or throat are serious indicators and may make breathing difficult. People with food allergies are also likely to develop other medical issues like eczema and asthma more frequently as well as infections such as ear or sinusitis more easily than their counterparts without food allergies.
People with food allergies should carry an epinephrine auto injector at all times, even when no symptoms exist. An injection could prevent severe reactions such as anaphylaxis that could prove fatal; just follow the directions on its label to use it in case of allergic reaction.
Diagnosis
Food allergies occur when your child’s immune system misidentifies certain foods as threats to his or her health, and launches an attack by sending immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibodies against it, which release chemicals like histamines that cause allergic symptoms.
Symptoms typically manifest themselves within two hours after eating the offending food and can affect any part of your child’s body, including skin, stomach and respiratory tract. Anaphylaxis can cause swelling across multiple parts of the body as well as tightening of throat muscles, trouble breathing and sudden drops in blood pressure – should your child show these symptoms, call 911 immediately!
Your child’s healthcare provider will begin by taking a full history of his or her symptoms, including when and what happened when eating the offending food. A physical exam may then be performed before tests may be used to make an official diagnosis.
Skin testing can be used to detect allergies to peanuts, milk, eggs, wheat and soy; blood testing measures IgE levels in your blood to measure any IgE antibodies to certain foods; food elimination diets are sometimes advised in order to identify food allergies or intolerances – this involves eliminating potential allergenic foods for two to six weeks and gradually reintroducing small quantities at a time until symptoms return.
Treatment
Food allergies can produce various symptoms, from itchy skin to wheezing that makes breathing hard, to anaphylaxis which could prove fatal without immediate medical assistance such as Epinephrine injection.
Antihistamines can help alleviate some symptoms associated with food allergy such as itching and swelling; other medications like corticosteroids or bronchodilators may ease breathing during an extreme reaction. Speak to your health care provider about what foods to eat that won’t trigger reactions as soon as possible. Also learn to read labels to identify ingredients. Involve yourself with antihistamines if required as antihistamines may not. Antihistamines may also be effective at controlling other symptoms caused by food allergy – like itching and swelling caused by allergens whereas corticosteroids or bronchodilators medications can ease breathing during severe reactions.
Researchers supported by NIAID are exploring immunotherapy treatments to combat food allergies. One such approach, oral immunotherapy (OIT), involves slowly increasing your daily protein consumption as part of an OIT regimen to desensitize your body; sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT), delivers allergy-treating proteins sublingually under your tongue.
Food allergies tend to present their symptoms quickly after indulging in any offending food item, unlike intolerances which can occur after any amount of the offending item has been eaten. Therefore, it’s crucial that anyone experiencing an allergic reaction seek medical advice at once – both to develop a safe diet as well as learn how to use an epinephrine auto-injector like EpiPen or Auvi-Q should they experience a life-threatening adverse reaction.
Prevention
Food allergies cannot be completely prevented, but their risk can be decreased through lifestyle and genetic choices. Environmental and biological triggers play a role in food allergy development; avoidance is usually best, though even small quantities of an allergen could trigger reactions in some individuals – this makes reading labels carefully important in protecting oneself from further reactions.
Research suggests that providing common allergy-causing foods (such as peanuts, cow’s milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, soy and wheat) to babies before 12 months old may help decrease their risk of food allergies and serve as part of a balanced diet.
If you have food allergies, it is a wise move to discuss their prevention with a physician who can assist with creating an emergency action plan and prescribing an epinephrine pen that will allow immediate use in case of severe reactions. These should be kept handy so they can be administered when symptoms emerge to maximize chances of successful treatment response.
Make sure to enlist the assistance of friends and family members – particularly caregivers like babysitters or teachers – when discussing food allergies to ensure an emergency does not arise. Practice being assertive when discussing these allergies while teaching children how to ask for safe food when dining out or elsewhere.
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