Food allergies are potentially life-threatening reactions that often involve skin rashes (hives) and digestive distress. While milk and egg allergies usually subside over time, peanut, tree nut, fish and shellfish allergies tend to remain severe for life.
Food allergies can trigger severe reactions in those sensitive to them, so those with food allergies must refrain from eating the offending item altogether. Medication can treat some symptoms after an adverse event has taken place.
Milk
Milk is one of the most prevalent food allergens and may cause mild to severe reactions in individuals who are allergic. Most often this involves antibodies directed against two proteins found in milk: casein and whey; those who suffer with lactose intolerance may also lack enzymes necessary to break down lactose sugar from milk products, leading to symptoms like diarrhea, vomiting or abdominal distress.
Most people with milk allergies also react negatively to foods containing goat, sheep or camel’s milk as well as non-dairy alternatives like soya, almond or coconut. An allergist can use a special blood test known as a component test to identify which specific milk proteins you are sensitive to as well as whether there is risk for anaphylaxis reactions.
Your allergist may suggest an oral food challenge, whereby you consume small amounts of milk or foods containing milk under medical supervision to determine whether you experience any allergic reaction. Your allergist may prescribe medicine such as epinephrine in order to avoid severe reactions that could potentially arise during this test.
Eggs
Eggs are a food allergen that can produce various symptoms in people. Some may only experience mild side effects like mild skin hives while others could experience anaphylaxis – an allergic response which impacts multiple parts of the body at once and could prove life-threatening if left untreated. Patients who are sensitive to egg should always have access to an emergency injection of epinephrine at home, school, daycare or any other place where they regularly spend time; it could potentially prevent or treat severe reactions quickly or fatal ones if needed.
Egg allergy can be diagnosed using a skin prick test, in which a small amount of egg protein is applied directly onto the surface of your skin and any wheals of at least 5mm are indicative of an allergic response to eggs. A blood test can measure antibodies for egg proteins; and food challenges with increasing amounts of egg under medical supervision may also help. Usually most children outgrow their egg allergy by age 5, though ongoing monitoring of allergy levels should continue as reactions may resurface over time.
Peanuts
Peanuts are legumes (beans), with an unusual habit known as geocarpy for their peculiar way of ripening in the soil after pollination – after pollen has been collected the fertilized ovules fall downward to develop peg-like fruits that act like roots to absorb minerals from the ground.
Peanut allergy is one of the most prevalent food allergies and may lead to life-threatening reactions such as anaphylaxis. Ara h 1 protein from peanuts causes this reaction by being highly glycosylated (containing many mannose and occasionally xylose moieties), which allows it to interact with dendritic cell carbohydrate receptors and cause a Th2 type immune response.
People with peanut or tree nut allergies should always keep two auto-injectors (such as EpiPen or ALLERJECT) with them at all times, making sure their friends, family, school staff and any possible emergency responders know about their allergy and what steps should be taken in an emergency situation. They should read labels carefully when dining out at restaurants or eateries that cater to this population before dining there.
Tree Nuts
Tree nuts are an all-too-common source of food allergies and often result in severe reactions, ranging from simple skin reactions to life-threatening anaphylaxis characterized by decreased blood pressure, breathing difficulty and/or an allergic rash.
Tree nut allergies affect people of all ages, with children particularly at risk. Due to increased exposure, children are particularly at risk for allergic reactions that could prove severe as nuts are frequently included in trail mix, cookies and baked goods as well as being used as ingredients in other food items.
Even though peanuts and tree nuts come from the same family, people rarely develop allergies to both. Peanuts are legumes while tree nuts like hazelnuts, walnuts, cashews and pistachios are true nuts that belong to this category.
People with tree nut allergies may not react negatively to all varieties, depending on which proteins cause their reaction. Therefore, it’s essential that they speak to an allergist regarding which foods may cause reactions. When reading ingredient lists or products packaging you should look out for products mentioning potential cross-contamination with other nuts.
Fish
Fish allergy may not be as prevalent as food allergies to milk, eggs or nuts; however, it still presents serious danger. Being sensitive to finned fish like cod, salmon, tuna and catfish can produce symptoms ranging from mild to severe within minutes after ingesting offending species; symptoms typically manifest themselves within minutes in your mouth, throat, lungs or skin.
Fish allergies arise when proteins in fish bind with IgE antibodies in your immune system, setting off an unwanted response that manifests with various symptoms. People allergic to fish may even react by touching it or breathing in fumes from cooking seafood products.
Cod parvalbumin is the most frequently detected fish allergen; however, other proteins found in fish such as 50kDa enolase, 40kDa aldolase and Cyp c 2 and Pan h 3 may also trigger allergic responses in some individuals. Cross-reactivity among these proteins is very frequent; for example, those allergic to cod parvalbumin often show IgE antibodies against salmon and tuna proteins as well.
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