Food allergies occur when your immune system misidentifies certain food as potentially toxic and produces antibodies to combat it, leading to symptoms in your skin, respiratory tract or cardiovascular system.
Food allergies can be potentially life-threatening, so it is crucial that you understand how best to avoid allergenic triggers. Common allergenic foods include milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish (crab), peanuts tree nuts and wheat.
What is a food allergy?
Food allergies are caused by your immune system reacting negatively to specific food proteins, mistaking them as threats and producing antibodies against them, leading to various symptoms in skin, respiratory, digestive systems as well as possible life-threatening reactions that require emergency treatment.
Food allergies typically develop during childhood but can develop at any age. Common symptoms of food allergies are itching and swelling in the mouth, throat or elsewhere in the body; difficulty breathing; wheezing in chest; drop in blood pressure, rapid heart rate or shock as severe symptoms; food allergies can be extremely dangerous and must be treated immediately with an injection of adrenaline (epinephrine).
Milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, peanuts, tree nuts, wheat and soybeans were the eight major food allergens responsible for most allergic reactions in 2004 according to the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act. Under this act, these eight allergenic ingredients or derivatives must appear either after the ingredient listing in parentheses or as separate line items on food labels.
Dietitians or nutritionists can assist with managing symptoms by offering advice, tips and ensuring you’re still receiving adequate nourishment.
Symptoms of a food allergy
Food allergies occur when your body recognizes certain proteins found in food as dangerous and responds by sending out antibodies (proteins) against it. Your immune system releases chemicals which cause various symptoms including hives, swelling of mouth or throat, difficulty breathing, upset stomach and itching – sometimes even small amounts can set off reactions! Allergic reactions range in severity; from mild to severe with anaphylaxis being severe enough to drop blood pressure dramatically within minutes after ingestion and spreading throughout different parts of the body at once.
Food allergies often present symptoms similar to other conditions, so it’s essential that you visit your healthcare provider for diagnosis. They may ask you to keep a food diary or conduct a skin prick test to detect an IgE antibody response; and in severe cases can prescribe emergency treatment such as adrenaline autoinjectors such as Adrenaclick or EpiPen.
People with eczema or allergies, particularly hay fever, are at an increased risk for food allergies. Most children outgrow milk allergies as they grow older, though some remain, particularly nuts and shellfish allergies. It is vitally important that friends, family, teachers, caregivers are aware of your condition so they can recognise and manage its symptoms properly.
Diagnosis of a food allergy
Your doctor can identify food allergies by asking about your symptoms and conducting an exam, then suggesting you keep a food diary to identify which foods cause symptoms and for how long. Be sure to note whether they are mild or severe as this will assist them in pinpointing them quickly.
Food allergies typically appear within minutes to two hours after eating an offending food, though symptoms can sometimes take several hours to manifest. Common reactions include tingling or itching in the mouth or throat, swelling of lips, eyes or face; stomach pain; diarrhea or vomiting; as well as more serious reactions such as drop in blood pressure, loss of consciousness, swollen airways that make breathing difficult or anaphylaxis (life-threatening reaction).
Food allergies are most often related to milk, eggs, wheat, soy and peanuts; other items may cause reactions as well. While most people outgrow their allergies over time, those allergic to nuts and fish tend to carry them permanently.
Skin tests can help determine what foods you’re allergic to by pricking your skin with drops of different foods and checking for IgE antibodies produced against each food tested. Blood tests that measure levels of IgE antibody production against specific foods may also be useful but are less accurate in some instances.
Treatment of a food allergy
If a person is allergic to certain food items, their immune system misidentifies it as being harmful and overreacts, leading their cells to produce antibodies against that food and release chemicals like histamine into their bloodstream – leading to allergy symptoms that range from hives to anaphylaxis.
Food allergy sufferers usually manage to avoid their allergens without too much difficulty; however, this may prove challenging when dining out or with children who may need additional vitamins and nutrients, or when dining alone at restaurants.
People with food allergies should carry an emergency dose of epinephrine (Adrenaclick or EpiPen). Epinephrine can effectively reverse life-threatening reactions like anaphylaxis within minutes; consult your physician about receiving a valid prescription and following all prescribed usage instructions for its safe usage.
Research continues into developing effective treatments for food allergies. A form of medication known as immunotherapy involves injecting small doses of allergen into an individual in order to stimulate their immune system and decrease future reactions.
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