Food allergies occur when your immune system misidentifies food or food substances as harmful and produces antibodies called immunoglobulin E (IgE). These proteins bind with cells and release chemicals like histamine which cause allergic symptoms.
These allergic reactions can range from mild itchiness to life-threatening shock, often fatal without treatment. Common food allergens include milk, eggs, peanuts, shellfish and wheat.
Symptoms
Food allergy symptoms usually manifest themselves within minutes to hours after you consume an allergenic food, with mild symptoms like hives or lip swelling to severe symptoms such as drop in blood pressure (anaphylactic shock). They may affect any area of the body.
When you eat something to which you are allergic, your immune system misidentifies it as potentially dangerous and releases antibodies called immunoglobulin E (IgE). When you reintroduce this food allergen into your system again, IgE antibodies recognize it and trigger histamine release that leads to symptoms.
As symptoms of food allergy may overlap with those of other health conditions or problems, you may not get diagnosed immediately. Your physician will ask about your symptoms and perform physical exams such as listening to your lungs; additionally they may order allergy tests such as skin tests or blood tests for IgE antibodies associated with suspected foods; additionally they may order other procedures like endoscopies and cholecystectomies to check for celiac disease.
If you experience trouble breathing or a drop in blood pressure, dial 911 immediately. Emergency treatment with epinephrine should include injecting it directly into the outer thigh muscle; you can do this using an adrenaline auto-injector such as EpiPen – learn how to use it and give doses as required according to its instructions on its injector.
Diagnosis
Healthcare providers typically perform diagnosis by gathering family and medical history as well as evaluating symptoms. A blood test to screen for food allergen antibodies may also be conducted, or skin-prick tests with small amounts of suspected allergenic foods may also be done under doctor supervision, with tiny quantities applied directly onto the skin before watching for signs of redness and swelling. Some people with severe reactions, like peanuts or shellfish, may require oral food challenges under doctor supervision – eating slowly a small quantity before watching for reactions.
Food allergies typically develop within minutes to two hours after ingesting certain food items, with mild symptoms including itchy lips or itching in the mouth to more serious reactions such as difficulty breathing and drop in blood pressure (anaphylactic shock).
Some doctors suggest keeping a food diary to help patients identify the foods that trigger their symptoms. A food diary should include when and how long symptoms first appeared after each meal, whether the symptoms are caused by eating that particular food and whether nonprescription medicines, like antihistamines, eased or worsened them; additionally, note whether cooked or uncooked food was consumed, how much was eaten and if it was consumed at home or somewhere else (e.g. restaurants).
Treatment
Food allergies have no cure, but strict avoidance can reduce symptoms and treat severe reactions such as anaphylaxis. People with food allergies should keep an emergency kit containing adrenalin click or EpiPen in case a severe reaction arises.
Food allergies occur when your immune system misidentifies certain proteins found in certain foods as threats and produces antibodies against them, leading to symptoms such as hives, swelling, difficulty breathing or wheezing, itchy skin and diarrhea. Sometimes these antibodies even cause life-threatening anaphylaxis reactions.
Your doctor can diagnose food allergies by asking you about your symptoms and performing a physical exam, including listening to your lungs for any signs of trouble with breathing. Blood tests will likely also be run to check antibodies to a particular food item.
Your doctor can prescribe antihistamines and an epinephrine auto-injector as medicines to treat allergic reactions, with severe reactions potentially becoming life threatening without its presence. Always carry this medicine with you at all times, since anaphylaxis attacks can quickly turn deadly without intervention.
Prevention
Food allergies can range from mild pruritus to life-threatening anaphylaxis, with children most frequently affected. Over time, however, most outgrow reactions to milk, egg, wheat and soy as they grow older. Children who also suffer from other health issues, such as asthma or atopic dermatitis (eczema), are at increased risk of food allergies.
Avoiding food allergens is the best way to stay allergy-free, so read labels closely and be sure that restaurants, schools or other facilities know of your allergy. If a friend or relative prepares meals for you, be sure that they understand and use clean cooking utensils and pans. Carry emergency medication like an adrenalin auto-injector such as Adrenaclick (EpiPen). Learn how to use it if an incident arises.
Research into ways to combat food allergies is ongoing, but for now the best approach is introducing infants to various foods by around 12 months in order to increase the chances of them developing an immunity against common allergens such as peanuts, cow’s milk (dairy), shellfish eggs fish soy and wheat.
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