Food allergy sufferers must carefully read labels and avoid foods which aggravate their allergies, while also being prepared for social situations like parties and restaurant eating, since waiters may not always know which ingredients are in each dish they serve.
Many children outgrow their allergies to milk, eggs and wheat; however, peanuts, tree nuts, fish and shellfish tend to remain lifelong issues that require immediate emergency medication for treatment or they can result in severe reactions even leading to death.
Food Allergens
Food allergies affect the immune system and are potentially life threatening, while intolerances to foods only result in temporary discomfort, but are generally non-life threatening.
Food allergies cause individuals to react adversely to proteins found in certain food items, known as allergens. Their immune systems perceive these allergens as harmful and produce antibodies in response, leading them to produce symptoms from mild ones like hives or lips swelling to severe ones like low blood pressure, blocked airways or shock (anaphylaxis).
Food allergens include many different items; however, eight foods account for 90% of food allergies and serious reactions: milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat and soy. Under the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act of 2004, manufacturers are required to clearly mark these major allergens on product labels.
At times it can be challenging to avoid allergens. Consulting a dietitian or nutritionist for guidance in managing this can be extremely helpful, providing tips to avoid allergenic foods while getting all of the essential vitamins and minerals your body requires. Support groups specifically for people who suffer from food allergies may also be invaluable resources.
Symptoms
Food allergies vary from person to person and can impact different parts of the body in various ways, with common symptoms including itchy skin, hives, swelling, wheezing and shortness of breath. A severe reaction known as anaphylaxis requires medical intervention via injectable epinephrine (adrenaline).
Most people with food allergies experience only mild reactions that affect only their skin or digestive tract, although peanuts, tree nuts and fish allergies can sometimes result in serious, life-threatening anaphylaxis reactions that require hospitalization. Food allergy symptoms usually start within 2 hours after ingesting offending food items, and can last from minutes to several hours; the severity of an allergic reaction depends upon its quantity eaten as well as whether other food items were also consumed at that same time.
Health care providers can easily diagnose food allergies using a skin test, which involves applying liquid extracts of potential allergens on either arm or back and pricking the skin with small needles to see if reddish raised spots called wheals appear. Blood tests may also be performed. Some individuals may be able to avoid their food allergy through something known as desensitization; in this process they slowly consume small quantities of the offending food with guidance from healthcare provider.
Diagnosis
Food allergies are typically diagnosed by first identifying which foods cause reactions. This can be accomplished using various tests such as skin prick testing or oral food challenges where small doses of the suspected trigger food is eaten under medical supervision in gradually increasing doses over a period of time to see if an adverse reaction takes place. Blood tests can also be used to measure levels of IgE antibodies produced when exposed to an allergen.
Food allergies involve IgE-mediated reactions that can be potentially life-threatening, so symptoms should always be taken seriously. Even mild symptoms could trigger a serious allergic reaction called anaphylaxis; if this happens to you, seek emergency treatment as soon as possible; such as taking Adrenaclick, Auvi-Q or Epi-pens or going directly to hospital emergency departments.
Some individuals who exhibit sensitivities to certain foods do not actually suffer IgE-mediated allergies. This condition, commonly known as oral allergy syndrome, typically manifests itself with fruit such as melons or vegetables such as carrots that contain substances similar to pollen that cause itchy mouth and throat symptoms that typically arise within two hours after ingesting said food; but delayed reactions can occur as well.
Treatment
If you or your child have food allergies, the key to treating mild symptoms effectively is avoiding foods containing allergens and taking an antihistamine to relieve mild reactions, like hives, itching or swelling of lips and tongue. More serious reactions, like trouble breathing or low blood pressure require medical treatment using epinephrine auto-injectors (also called Epi-pens).
Once diagnosed with food allergy, make sure that a written action plan outlines what steps need to be taken in the event of an allergic reaction – including when and how to contact medical help and get to hospital. Make copies available for school staff, babysitters and anyone who prepares food at your home. Be sure to have immediate access to an epinephrine prescription as this could save your life in an allergic reaction situation.
Research to develop improved treatments for food allergies continues, including desensitization through exposure therapy. Researchers funded by NIAID are exploring oral immunotherapy as an approach, whereby patients ingest small doses of their allergen over a period of months; gradually increasing doses gradually so as to build tolerance, with hopes that eventually enough tolerance has been built up so as to reintroduce it safely back into diet; this treatment can only be found within clinical settings like an allergist’s office.
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