Food allergies affect millions of people worldwide. While some individuals exhibit mild reactions such as itching or hives, others can suffer severe and potentially life-threatening reactions.
Food allergies typically begin in childhood and will generally outgrow them by adulthood. Some foods, like peanuts, shellfish and fish, tend to trigger more serious reactions than others.
Symptoms
Food allergies are a condition in which your immune system responds negatively to foods it mistakes for potentially dangerous, which could range from mild reactions to life-threatening ones (anaphylaxis). Symptoms typically appear within minutes to two hours after you or your child has eaten the allergenic food; symptoms typically include hives, swelling of airways and difficulty breathing that affect various body parts such as skin, lips or throat – sometimes stomach or intestines too! An anaphylactic shock could occur and should this occur call 911 immediately or head straight for hospital care immediately (anaphylactic shock causes drops blood pressure to drop precipitously and blocked airways) so if this happens seek emergency care immediately!
Food allergies may be confused with other conditions, such as gastroenteritis or eczema. Reactions to different foods vary depending on their quantity eaten, how it was prepared (i.e. cooked or uncooked), where it is eaten from (at home vs restaurant), etc.
People with food allergies tend to also suffer from pollen or dust mite allergies or have a family history of eczema or asthma, or both. Children whose older sibling has food allergies increase the likelihood that they’ll develop one themselves; milk, eggs, wheat and soy allergies tend to dissipate with age but those to peanuts, tree nuts, fish or shellfish often remain lifelong allergies.
Diagnosis
Doctors typically diagnose food allergies by monitoring symptoms and ordering tests such as skin and blood tests that measure antibodies specific foods. Results of such tests show whether someone might be allergic, but don’t always indicate how severe their reaction will be; skin tests tend to be less accurate than blood tests; thus a positive result doesn’t always mean an individual will react upon being exposed to this food.
Health care providers may order an oral food challenge test. During this examination, individuals eat increasing quantities of the suspected food while being observed by medical personnel for signs of allergic reaction. Anaphylaxis can occur quickly after eating suspected food and be life-threatening; symptoms often begin abruptly and quickly progresses into life-threatening levels; those who have experienced serious allergic reactions before should carry emergency injectable epinephrine such as Adrenaclick, Auvi-Q or EpiPen.
Milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, fish and crustacean shellfish can all cause allergic reactions; children have a higher risk of food allergies due to other allergic conditions like hay fever or eczema, though most will outgrow these reactions with age.
Treatment
Food allergies do not have a cure, but treatment options may help relieve symptoms. The key to successful management is identifying which foods cause allergic reactions and avoiding them altogether; an allergist can assist with this by performing tests such as skin or blood tests to pinpoint problematic items; for skin tests this involves applying liquid extracts of suspected food on either your back or forearm and pricking in order to see if reddish raised spots (called wheals) form upon pricking – positive results indicate you may be sensitive. For blood tests this involves measuring how many IgE antibodies you have against various foods.
Food allergies such as peanut allergy are potentially life-threatening and require emergency medication such as epinephrine for treatment. People who know they are allergic should always carry emergency medications with them and create a plan for potential emergencies, such as giving restaurant servers and others their medical alert card so that they know when serving someone who may be allergic.
Individuals with mild food allergies may still eat the same foods, but must read ingredient labels carefully in order to make sure no unexpected foods are eaten accidentally. Immunotherapy – or allergy shots – may be effective in managing these allergies over time by gradually introducing small amounts of the allergen into your system through immunotherapy or allergy shots; to maximize effectiveness it’s essential to work with an experienced allergy physician such as Dr. Chacko who has proven their abilities helping his patients manage them effectively.
Prevention
Avoiding foods that trigger allergy symptoms is the ideal way to combat food allergy symptoms, yet many find this difficult. Unfortunately, staying away from allergenic food items may be impossible since many contain multiple allergens that cause reactions; furthermore, food allergies are likely a lifelong condition and outgrowing them may not be possible.
Food allergies typically appear shortly after eating and can range in severity from mild to life-threatening, inducing anaphylactic shock with difficulty breathing and drop in blood pressure. If this occurs, seek emergency treatment immediately; your physician may prescribe an epinephrine auto-injector (Adrenaclick or EpiPen) and teach both yourself and your child how to use it safely.
Children should be educated to recognize the signs and symptoms of food allergies, and taught how to assertively refuse foods that could trigger an allergic reaction or ask for assistance when they feel it coming on. Parents can ensure schools, early care and education programs, and early care and education programs have written food allergy plans in place so staff know what steps should be taken when someone experiences an allergic reaction; additionally they should ensure those living with food allergies carry an epinephrine auto-injector with them and know how to use it when necessary.
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