Food allergies may cause anaphylaxis, an acute allergic response with symptoms including difficulty breathing, decreased blood pressure and swelling of multiple parts of the body. To stay safe it’s essential to identify which foods cause symptoms and avoid them as soon as possible.
Food allergies typically resolve by childhood; however, those to peanuts, tree nuts, fish and shellfish often remain lifelong. Living with such allergies requires constant vigilance as well as informing family and friends of your needs and conditions.
Types
Food allergies result from your immune system mistaking certain proteins found in certain foods as harmful, leading to symptoms ranging from itchy rashes to swelling lips and throat. More severe reactions, including anaphylaxis, can even be life-threatening.
Food allergies typically develop in early life; however, they can occur at any age. Children tend to outgrow milk, egg and wheat allergies more quickly, while peanuts, tree nuts and fish allergies often persist for much longer than these three foods do. People allergic to peanuts or tree nuts may also react negatively with other legumes (beans) such as soybeans or lentils while those allergic to shellfish could cross-react with other crustaceans and molluscs.
Food allergies typically are IgE-mediated, meaning your immune system produces antibodies called IgE antibodies that recognize specific foods. Examples of such allergens include peanuts, tree nuts (such as walnuts, almonds and cashews), milk, egg, wheat soy fish and shellfish allergies. Non-IgE food allergies are relatively less prevalent, in that your immune system reacts to certain foods with a chemical response that doesn’t involve IgE antibodies. These allergies typically present themselves with stomach-related symptoms like vomiting or diarrhea and can be much milder in severity than IgE-mediated food allergies. They can be difficult to identify; avoiding offending foods should improve symptoms; the best way to pinpoint this allergy would be a skin prick test or blood test which accurately identifys it as the source.
Symptoms
Food allergies can range from mild rash symptoms to life-threatening anaphylaxis reactions that cause swelling in your throat or abdomen (anaphylaxis). All these reactions are due to an immune system response; when your immune system misperceives certain food as harmful, it releases chemicals which cause symptoms that manifest themselves physically – for instance releasing blood vessel-dilating chemicals which make your symptoms worse and sometimes itchy or tingly sensations elsewhere on the body.
Symptoms may appear immediately or within hours after eating a food item; these could affect multiple parts of your body at once, including skin, throat, lungs or stomach. You could also have anaphylactic shock caused by vomiting or sudden drops in blood pressure that causes shock.
Food allergies can be difficult to identify, requiring your care team to gather a complete history of your symptoms – which foods seem to trigger them and how much food is eaten – as well as physical exams, blood tests or skin prick tests in order to properly identify an allergy. You might need an elimination diet or oral food challenge test as additional ways of diagnosing food allergy.
People with food allergies should always carry self-injectable medicine such as epinephrine for use during severe reactions. Furthermore, discuss this situation with any caregivers such as school teachers and daycare providers who provide services.
Diagnosis
People with suspected food allergies typically visit their family doctor (GP). From there, they may be referred to an allergist – a physician specialized in diagnosing and treating allergy and asthma – who will take a detailed medical history, conduct physical exams and require that you keep a diary recording what you eat each day as well as any changes in symptoms that arise from this diet.
An allergist will use several tests to help narrow the search for what foods you’re allergic to, including skin testing and blood tests. With skin testing, allergists prick a small amount of the suspected food on your skin before watching for reactions; blood tests detect antibodies for specific food; positive antibody tests indicate sensitivity towards it; an oral food challenge test allows patients to gradually consume increasing quantities of suspect foods while an allergist monitors for any signs of an adverse response.
Accurate diagnosis of food allergies is essential, as untreated allergies can be life-threatening. Anaphylaxis, an allergic response that involves the whole body and causes breathing difficulty or sudden drops in blood pressure, is particularly dangerous. People who are sensitive to certain foods should carry emergency epinephrine (adrenaline). Furthermore, any food which causes reactions must be completely avoided to stay safe from anaphylactic shock.
Treatment
Food allergies may not be curable conditions, but they can be managed effectively through strict avoidance of foods that trigger reactions. There are medications available that may relieve symptoms and help prevent or treat severe reactions such as anaphylaxis; should any life-threatening reactions arise, prompt medical intervention will likely be required immediately.
Your healthcare team will gather information regarding when and how symptoms first surfaced for both you and your child, whether nonprescription allergy medicines such as antihistamines help alleviate them, physical exam and blood tests to check for antibodies to specific foods as well as a skin test to test if any reactions occur.
If you or your child have food allergies, your provider may advise carrying an epinephrine auto-injector (such as EpiPen or Auvi-Q). This medicine can rapidly reverse an allergic reaction by quickly lowering blood pressure and opening airways; they will show you how to use the device properly, giving two doses for your ongoing use.
Children often outgrow allergies to milk, eggs, wheat and soy; however, peanuts, tree nuts, fish and shellfish tend to remain lifelong allergens.
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