If you suffer from food allergies, it’s essential that you strictly avoid those foods which cause reactions. Furthermore, carrying an emergency epinephrine injector could save lives if an anaphylactic reaction arises – including anaphylaxis.
These eight foods account for 90% of food allergies and severe reactions: milk, eggs, fish, wheat, crustacean shellfish (Crustacea), tree nuts, peanuts and soybeans.
What Causes Food Allergies?
Food allergies typically develop when your immune system misidentifies proteins found in food as harmful, leading to your body producing copies of antibodies called immunoglobulin E (IgE). Once exposed, these IgE antibodies attach themselves to two kinds of immune system cells and release chemicals which trigger symptoms by attacking specific tissues and producing histamine. Symptoms range from mild to severe and can impact different areas of the body.
Symptoms typically begin within two hours after eating an allergenic food and vary in severity depending on how much and what kind of food was eaten, whether cooked or uncooked, whether other allergies (eczema/asthma) exist in your family, etc. Serious allergic reactions (anaphylaxis) require immediate medical intervention as they could become life-threatening.
People with food allergies must avoid foods that trigger their symptoms. Meals and snacks must be planned carefully, while key people such as school staff, day care providers, friends and relatives needing to know about their allergy – including school staff, day care providers, friends and relatives can help prevent or treat an allergic reaction if one occurs. They may need an emergency epinephrine shot such as Adrenaclick Auvi-Q EpiPen for self-treatment in case of severe reactions.
What Are the Symptoms of Food Allergies?
Food allergies occur when your immune system overreacts to certain proteins found in foods. This leads to symptoms including vomiting, diarrhea, hives, swelling, shortness of breath and wheezing – anaphylaxis is an extreme reaction that must be treated immediately with an injection of epinephrine for survival. While they most commonly appear among young children, they can occur at any age; family history as well as factors like eczema or asthma seem to play a part in who develops one or not.
Doctors can accurately diagnose food allergies by reviewing symptoms, gathering medical and family histories and performing tests such as an allergy skin test or IgE blood test. Your healthcare provider may also suggest an elimination diet to determine which foods trigger symptoms.
People with IgE-mediated food allergies must avoid the foods that trigger an allergic reaction, but even small amounts may trigger severe reactions. Your healthcare team will develop a personalized treatment plan and emergency kit including adrenalin autoinjectors such as the EpiPen. Make sure school/daycare staff, friends and family know of your child’s allergy, especially when dining out where waiters or chefs may not know exactly which ingredients make up certain dishes.
How Do I Know if I Have a Food Allergy?
A doctor can best identify food allergies by reviewing symptoms and family history, then making recommendations regarding whether skin or blood tests need to be conducted to confirm an allergy diagnosis.
Food allergies can trigger various symptoms in different parts of your body, from your skin and digestive tract to respiratory and cardiovascular. These can be mild or severe in intensity; and can appear suddenly or gradually over time; often these reactions occur shortly after eating the offending food, though symptoms could appear hours or even days later.
Your immune system detects harmful substances as threats to your health, which causes it to release antibodies called immunoglobulin E or IgE that trigger an allergic response. Diagnosing food allergy involves performing a skin test using drops of suspected allergen on forearm or back and monitoring skin for signs of irritation or redness; alternatively blood tests may be more accurate, though more expensive and may not suit everyone.
Food challenges, where you consume increasingly more of the allergenic food under medical supervision, may help identify or confirm an allergy. Since food challenges may be risky and require physician supervision for safety purposes, they should only be conducted under these circumstances.
How Can I Manage My Food Allergy?
Prevention is key when it comes to food reactions; for anaphylaxis-type symptoms, immediate medical assistance must be sought immediately.
Your healthcare team will gather information regarding symptoms and family history for food allergies. They may perform a physical exam as well. In some instances, a skin test may be administered whereby tiny amounts of the suspected allergen is applied directly onto the skin; raised bumps indicate an allergic response. Furthermore, blood tests can measure levels of immunoglobulin E (IgE), an antibody that indicates food allergy.
An allergy diagnosis can be frighteningly daunting; you must educate yourself and others on safe food options; you should read labels closely when dining out or traveling; and prepare accordingly when dining out or attending events.
Dietitians and nutritionists can assist you in creating an allergy-friendly diet by providing tips and recommendations from specialists, such as special cookbooks or support groups dedicated to specific allergies. Also make sure that key people in your life know about your food allergy – childcare providers, teachers, school personnel and even parents of friends of your child have to know. Also keep epinephrine available just in case an emergency arises!
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