Food Allergy A food allergy is a reaction by the body's immune system to something you ate or drank. Food allergies are more common in young children and in people who have other allergies, such as hay fever and eczema (dry skin rash). Food allergies must be taken seriously. Very tiny amounts of a food can cause a reaction if you are allergic to it, and a severe reaction can be sudden and life threatening. A food allergy occurs when the body's immune system mistakenly believes that a harmless substance (a food) is harmful. In order to protect the body, the immune system creates substances called antibodies to that food. The next time you eat that particular food, your immune system releases huge amounts of chemicals, such as histamines, to protect the body. These chemicals trigger symptoms that can affect the respiratory and cardiovascular systems, gastrointestinal tract, and skin. Many different foods can cause an allergic reaction.
The foods that most often cause a reaction are: ► eggs ► cow's milk ► wheat ► peanuts ► soy ► tree nuts, such as walnuts and cashews Reactions differ. They may occur right away or not for several hours. Symptoms may be mild, or they might be life threatening when the allergy causes breathing problems.
► skin rash or hives The symptoms of a severe reaction generally occur within minutes to 2 hours after contact with the food causing the reaction. In rare instances symptoms may occur up to 4 hours later. Some fresh fruits and vegetables can cause a mild allergic reaction called oral allergy syndrome. The itching or tingling of the mouth that occurs is the result of cross-reactivity: These foods contain some of the same proteins that are found in certain pollens that you may be allergic to. For example, if you are allergic to ragweed, you may react to eating melons and bananas. An allergy to birch pollen may cause a reaction to apples, plums, and nectarines. If your symptoms are severe and there is no obvious cause, then it may be possible to have allergy skin tests or blood tests for common food allergies such as egg, cow's milk, nuts, and shellfish or other suspicious foods. There is no cure for food allergy. Strict avoidance of foods you are allergic to is the only way to prevent a reaction. For severe reactions, you may need a shot of epinephrine. If you have had one or more severe reactions to food, you should carry injectable epinephrine (EpiPen) with you. A shot with the EpiPen given by yourself or a friend can slow down a severe reaction while you wait for medical help to arrive. Some food allergies are outgrown while others are lifelong. Most children who are allergic to milk, eggs, soy, and wheat outgrow their allergies. However, allergies to peanuts, nuts, fish, and shellfish are almost never outgrown.
Keep track of all reactions for yourself and your healthcare provider. If you tend to have severe food allergy reactions, you should carry medicine with you, such as injectable epinephrine (EpiPen 2-pak), for emergency use. The Epinephrine injection requires that you be trained on how to use it at your allergists office. 911 should be call immediately if the allergic reaction is severe enough to require an epinephrine injection. Tell others about your allergy; that is, what you need to avoid, the symptoms of an allergic reaction, and how they can help during an allergic emergency. Wear a medical ID bracelet or necklace that notes your allergy. Or you can carry a card in your wallet or purse.
|
||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||
© 2009 Allergy and Asthma Care of the Palm Beaches, P.A. |