Food allergies affect millions of people worldwide and can affect any age group, leading to symptoms such as hives, stomachache, eczema, vomiting or diarrhea.
Discuss food allergy symptoms with your healthcare provider and notify both schools and daycares where your child attends; also, ensure each has an anaphylaxis action plan with at least 2 doses of injectable epinephrine available in case anaphylactic reactions arise.
Symptoms
Food allergies cause an acute response from all parts of your body, usually beginning shortly after eating the offending food. Common symptoms may include tingling in your mouth and throat (oral allergy syndrome), itchy lips, tongue and throat (swelling) as well as belly pain, diarrhea or vomiting, face swelling or raised rash with pale centers (hives). Some individuals can even have life-threatening allergic reactions causing difficulty breathing, swelling of airways and shock with a drop in blood pressure (anaphylaxis).
If you suspect you may have a food allergy, seek medical advice immediately. Your physician will ask about symptoms, family history of allergies and medical history; then conduct tests such as skin testing, blood testing or elimination diet to ascertain whether there may be an allergy present.
Food allergies can range from milk, eggs, soy, wheat, fish, shellfish, peanuts and tree nuts – among many others – being the most frequent causes. While most children outgrow their allergies as they mature, some adults continue having them into adulthood. It is essential for anyone with an anaphylactic food allergy (life-threatening or otherwise) to carry emergency medicine such as an Epi-Pen at all times for emergencies involving their food allergy; most often those who also have food allergies also suffer from other allergies such as hay fever, asthma or eczema as well.
Diagnosis
Food allergies can often present similar symptoms to many other medical issues, so diagnosing one may take some time. Your healthcare provider will ask about your symptoms and conduct a physical exam with breathing tests – including listening to the lungs – in addition to performing allergy tests such as skin prick or blood tests; these can provide valuable clues as to the source of your symptoms but cannot confirm food allergy with certainty.
Oral food challenges are generally the best way to test for food allergies, with this process consisting of eating small amounts of the suspected allergen under medical supervision and then receiving treatment as soon as it occurs – anaphylaxis must be treated immediately, so your healthcare provider may prescribe adrenaline auto-injectors such as Adrenaclick, Auvi-Q or EpiPen for emergency use should a severe allergic reaction arise that requires emergency treatment immediately.
Melons, apples, and pineapple may cause similar reactions to pollen allergies because these fruits contain substances similar to pollen pollen particles. This food allergy condition is commonly known as pollen-food syndrome and symptoms usually start manifesting themselves in the mouth and throat similar to pollen allergies; only 10% of people with such allergies develop life-threatening anaphylaxis symptoms.
Treatment
In some instances, doctors may test you for conditions with symptoms similar to food allergies. These could include lactose intolerance (where your body cannot digest milk) and celiac disease, which affects how your body absorbs gluten found in wheat and other grains.
Food allergies don’t have a cure, but medications may provide relief and prevent severe reactions. To successfully manage them, avoid foods which cause reactions – speak to your physician about this and read labels carefully as manufacturers are required to list ingredients, sometimes with names similar to what could cause allergy reactions hidden behind other ingredients or used under different names.
For mild reactions to food, nonprescription antihistamines can help alleviate itchiness and rashes. If your allergy is more serious, however, your doctor may prescribe an injection of epinephrine; an injectable medicine designed to counter anaphylaxis that comes in small, portable containers – your physician will show you how to use it.
Oral immunotherapy (OIT) may provide relief to people with food allergies. With OIT, patients take small doses of the allergen under medical supervision until their immune systems adjust to it and experience less symptoms or even tolerance of it over time.
Prevention
Food allergies are best prevented by avoiding their sources, but this can be challenging when dining out where avoiding offending ingredients may not always be an option. Therefore, it is also crucial that key individuals know about any allergies in your child, such as childcare providers, school staff and the parents of his/her friends – this way they can plan meals and snacks in advance and react if there is an allergic reaction – anaphylaxis can be fatal so all parties involved need to know when it strikes and call 911 immediately if symptoms worsen as anaphylaxis can potentially be fatal!
Your doctor will ask about your or your child’s symptoms and family history of allergies before performing a physical exam and ordering various tests such as skin testing (a simple process where a small amount of suspected allergen is pinprick tested for), blood tests, an elimination diet or oral food challenge test.
People may outgrow food allergies as they age; however, those allergic to peanuts, tree nuts, fish and shellfish tend to remain lifelong allergies. Research is being done in hopes of discovering how best to combat such allergies; in the meantime try eating a well-balanced diet without being intimidated by new foods containing common allergens such as peanuts, milk eggs and wheat.
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