Food allergies are a serious medical condition that can range from minor digestive upset to life-threatening anaphylactic shock, often brought on by overreacting immune systems to certain food proteins.
Food allergies often fall under one of eight categories known as The Big Eight: milk, egg, soy, wheat, peanut, tree nut, fish and shellfish[1. This must be disclosed on retailer ingredients lists in accordance with Food Standards Code requirements.
Allergens
An allergen is any substance that triggers an immune system response in people with allergies. When exposed to allergens again, those antibodies attack it and release chemicals which trigger allergic symptoms – this includes pollen, animal dander, dust mites, mold spores and medication that contains mold spores as well as insect venoms as common allergens.
Allergies can have devastating effects, from allergy rhinitis (hay fever) and skin conditions like atopic dermatitis to stomach conditions like gastritis and ulcerative colitis. While genetic predisposition to allergies exists for some individuals, others are predisposed genetically as they inherit them through family genes – this phenomenon is known as “atopy”.
Food businesses must comply with food law in regards to allergen information for each of the dishes on a buffet, providing allergy info for every individual item on it.
Allergens can be detected using skin tests administered by doctors who specialize in allergies, such as dermatologists or ear, nose and throat (ENT) specialists. Blood tests may be administered if testing the skin is unsafe or impractical – usually by dermatologists, ENT specialists, pulmonologists or asthma specialists. According to FALCPA of 2004, food labels must identify eight major allergens: milk, eggs, wheat, peanuts tree nuts fish shellfish soy
Symptoms
Allergies occur when your immune system overreacts to something normally harmless, like pollen, certain foods, pet dander or insect stings. Your immune system views allergens as foreign invaders and attacks them – the first time encountering an allergen triggers your immune system to produce immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibodies which attach themselves to mast cells in your skin, nose, eyes or digestive tract and release chemicals such as histamines causing allergy-like reactions in you and triggers you as soon as encountering it – your immune system goes into attack mode and attacks it aggressively – you experience allergy symptoms immediately upon contact!
Symptoms depend on both the allergen and where it enters your body; food allergies often trigger reactions in your digestive system and respiratory system; they may also produce skin rashes. Some individuals can have serious life-threatening allergic reactions called anaphylaxis that could prove fatal; recognizing early warning signs with an injection of epinephrine may help avoid an anaphylactic crisis altogether.
Animal fur, dander and feather proteins often trigger allergies; insects such as bees, wasps, hornets and fire ants may also sting them with their venom; other common allergens include tree pollen, molds, dust mites and certain foods (like wheat) can be an allergen as well. Allergies range in severity; therefore the best way to manage or avoid allergies is avoiding their source. Symptoms typically appear within minutes or hours of being exposed to an allergen; thus avoidance is the key!
Diagnosis
Diagnosing food allergies requires taking an extensive medical history including an account of symptoms that began and have persisted over time, when and for how long. Your physician will also ask about other family members with allergies as well as health conditions you have such as asthma, hay fever or eczema (atopic dermatitis). Your physician may suggest conducting a physical exam focusing on eyes, ears, noses, mouths throats and chests before conducting blood and skin tests to ascertain whether you have an allergy to any particular food item.
Skin tests involve pricking or scratching the skin with small drops of allergens and then monitoring for reactions such as redness or swelling (wheal). An allergy specialist may use two control tests; one to detect non-allergens while another looks for IgE antibodies to specific foods; blood tests also measure for IgE antibodies present within your system that fight allergens; your allergy specialist might order either RAST or ImmunoCAP tests as chemical indicators of these IgE antibodies in circulation within your system circulating your system detecting IgE antibodies present within your body which attack allergens circulating through your system to detect their presence; usually by ordering RAST or ImmunoCAP tests from their allergist.
If you suspect an allergy, your physician may suggest that you avoid the food for two to four weeks and wait to see if symptoms dissipate on their own. If they don’t, a medically-supervised food challenge – also called an oral food challenge – may be offered as further testing.
Treatment
Your immune system protects your body against outside threats, but allergies can create inflammation and unnecessary discomfort. Seeking diagnosis and treatment can alleviate symptoms while also improving overall health.
Allergies occur when the immune system overreacts to typically harmless substances like pollen, pet dander, mold, medicines, insect venoms and certain foods, which enter the body through pollen or pollen allergens such as pollen. When they come in contact with mast cells and basophils cells of mast cells release chemicals which inflame skin sinuses airways other areas resulting in symptoms including itching runny nose sneezing hives difficulty breathing symptoms that range from mild to severe severity or even life-threatening severity.
Some allergy treatments include medications like antihistamines and decongestants. For some individuals, allergen immunotherapy (AIT) may reduce allergy symptoms and their need for medication by gradually increasing doses of allergen extract over three to five years through regular administration of injections, sublingual tablets or sprays.
Over 160 food ingredients and additives may trigger allergic reactions in some individuals. The Food and Drug Administration closely monitors these and other potentially problematic foods and requires specific labeling when present. Cross-contact manufacturing may also contribute to food allergies; this occurs when multiple allergenic food items are manufactured on shared equipment within one facility.
Comments are closed