Persons with food allergies must avoid foods which trigger their symptoms, including peanuts, eggs, milk, shellfish, wheat, soy tree nuts and fish. You should consult your healthcare provider regarding carrying an epinephrine autoinjector such as Adrenaclick or EpiPen in case of severe reactions.
Food allergies are immune system responses that cause reactions in the skin, stomach and airways. Common reactions include itching and swelling; more serious reactions may lead to breathing difficulties or cause sudden drop in blood pressure resulting in shock.
What is a food allergy?
Food allergies occur when your immune system reacts negatively to proteins found in food, unlike intolerance which does not involve your immune system but still may lead to symptoms like gas and bloating.
Immune systems identify food proteins as harmful and produce antibodies called immunoglobulin E (IgE). When you eat an allergen again, its proteins interact with IgE antibodies produced from earlier exposure and cause cells — such as mast cells — to release histamine into your bloodstream causing symptoms ranging from mild to severe reactions.
Most food allergies appear during infancy or early childhood and typically target eggs, milk, peanuts, fish, shellfish, wheat and soy. Over time these allergies usually clear up, though peanut and tree nut allergies may persist for life.
Doctors can diagnose food allergies by reviewing your medical history and performing skin or blood tests to see if antibodies suggestive of food sensitivities are present in your system. They may also suggest conducting an oral food challenge test in which small amounts of suspected trigger foods are given under strict medical supervision to see whether you react.
Symptoms
Most food allergies cause mild reactions, but anaphylaxis can be potentially life-threatening. This happens when your immune system mistakes food proteins for threats and releases chemicals to combat them; this may result in symptoms like hives or swelling as well as shortness of breath or wheezing.
Food allergies often manifest within hours or days of eating the allergenic food, though symptoms may occur days later. They may affect any part of the body at once – unlike food intolerance which often manifests with digestive symptoms like bloating and abdominal discomfort, an allergic response can have far reaching ramifications across your entire system.
Children generally outgrow allergies to milk, eggs and wheat by adulthood; however, peanuts, tree nuts (including walnuts), fish and shellfish tend to remain lifelong triggers for them. People with an existing history of allergies such as hay fever or eczema are at greater risk for food allergies; people suffering from both food allergies and asthma could develop even more serious reactions than usual.
Diagnosis
Diagnosing food allergies involves consulting a clinician and explaining your symptoms that result from eating certain food. He or she will then collect your medical history as well as run tests to confirm if you are allergic to any particular food item.
Food allergies are most frequently experienced to peanuts, milk, eggs, soy, tree nuts, fish and crustacean shellfish. While children tend to outgrow peanut allergies over time, other allergies may persist and cause serious consequences. Food intolerances are less prevalent but still exist and should be taken seriously.
Blood and skin tests can both be used to detect allergies. Skin prick testing uses a small amount of extract from suspected allergens applied directly onto the skin; if a wheal forms where the needle was pricked, this indicates an allergy. Skin prick tests tend to work best with foods containing stable proteins like those found in peanuts, cow’s milk, soy, eggs or wheat.
Anaphylactic reactions (anaphylaxis) can be life-threatening, so your healthcare provider will prescribe and instruct you in using epinephrine. You should keep an emergency kit containing this medication at home as a safeguard.
Treatment
Food allergies can be potentially life-threatening conditions. They develop when your immune system mistakes food proteins or substances for something harmful and triggers antibodies called immunoglobulin E (IgE). When exposed to allergens again, IgE sends chemicals directly into your bloodstream which cause allergic symptoms like hives, swelling, shortness of breath and drop in blood pressure – potentially fatal without immediate treatment using adrenaline-containing epinephrine (adrenaline).
Food allergies have no cure, but medications can provide temporary relief and prevent severe reactions. The best solution is avoiding foods that trigger problems; if this is impossible, speak to your physician about undergoing an oral food challenge test to see if you can tolerate small doses of the offending food – these tests are typically only conducted in doctor offices or centers equipped with emergency medical medication and equipment.
New treatments such as skin-prick testing and sublingual immunotherapy are currently being evaluated for those suffering from food allergies. This involves swallowing or placing drops of diluted extract under your tongue in order to gradually build tolerance to certain foods.
Prevention
There is no proven method for preventing food allergies. Exclusive breastfeeding may help lower the likelihood of cow’s milk, egg, soy or wheat allergies developing, but not peanuts tree nuts or shellfish allergies which often outgrow by early childhood whereas peanut allergies often remain lifelong.
If you or your child have experienced food allergy symptoms in the past, speaking to an allergist regarding prevention strategies could be very beneficial. Request that they perform a food challenge test whereby small quantities of suspected allergens will be introduced under medical supervision to see whether you experience reactions.
Learn the safe preparation of foods at home and when dining out. Be mindful when reading food labels to spot warnings of allergens in food. If severe allergy signs or symptoms such as anaphylaxis arise, call 911 immediately and request that your provider prescribe an adrenaline auto-injector that they teach you how to use. Always carry it with you, along with an identification bracelet or necklace to alert others that you have food allergies; in addition, ensure an emergency supply of oral medications as well as prescriptions for antihistamines are always at hand in case anaphylaxis occurs – keep a medical alert bracelet or necklace to alert others of this risk as soon as possible and make sure emergency supplies of oral medications and antihistamine prescriptions are on hand in case an anaphylaxis occurs – in such an instance call 911 immediately; in such an instance always!
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