Why it is Difficult to Identify a Food Allergy
Why is it difficult to recognize ones own food allergy?
This is difficult because of the often delayed nature of food allergies. Allergy symptoms may show up hours or even days later, after a food is well absorbed into your system.
This difficulty is compounded by the fact that certain foods such as dairy and wheat are so prevalent in our diet that many people eat them nearly everyday. Therefore connecting your symptoms with your eating habits is often nearly impossible.
Also allergic symptoms can be difficult to pinpoint, symptoms vary greatly and some may be unique to a particular sufferer.
What causes a food allergy?
Humans have only recently introduced many current day foods into the diet, so it’s not surprising that the immune system does not recognize every food as a friendly substance.
A wide variety of foods can cause allergic reactions, including animal products, fruits, vegetables, seeds, spices. Most common trigger foods are cow’s milk, eggs, nuts, Soya, fish, shellfish and wheat.
When mast cells produce excess mediators (histamines, etc) in error this causes a food allergy. The IgE antibodies react to an antigen in apparently harmless substances like cow’s milk, instead of reacting to bacteria and viruses.
Thus the antigen fits the antibody, the mast cell is triggered and mediators are produced.
Only the following foods to be eaten for the first 21 days:
Plain Meat – beef, pork, lamb, turkey, duck, no chicken
Plain fish – plaice, mackerel, trout, haddock (not smoked or processed)
Fresh vegetables
Fresh Fruit – (not citrus – oranges, lemon, limes)
Drinks – spring water, filtered water, fruit juices, herbal tea
Condiments – salt, pepper, herbs
Diagnosis
A proper diagnosis depends mainly on making a full assessment of the symptoms, and taking careful accounts of dietary history, family history. The suspect food(s) are removed from the diet for a specified period to see if symptoms improve.
Re-introduction of foods
Re-introduce foods one at a time. Wait about 8 hours to see if any symptoms are present then eat a second portion of that food. If no reaction then the next day repeat with a new food.
Using this method will gradually come up with a list of foods causing symptoms.
What are the Symptoms of a Food Allergy
Results of studies provided by the Mayo Clinic, shows that around 2% of adults and approximately six percent of kids suffered some type of food allergy. While those percentages may appear low, in a total population of over 300 million in the US that translates to 6 million and 18 million individuals, respectively.
Much the same as other common causes of allergic reactions, food sensitivities result from an over reaction to an allergen by the immune system. In this instance, the allergens are typically dairy based products, eggs, peanuts, shellfish and a few other foods.
In response to contact or ingestion, the body releases an antibody by the name of IgE (immunoglobulin E) since it sees the food not as nutrition, but a outside invader. The antibodies stimulate the release of histamine, prostaglandins and some other substances which bring about the symptoms.
When compared with other allergies, food allergy symptoms are normally much more comprehensive. Sinus congestion together with watery eyes are possible. Nevertheless, they are quite often accompanied with or even overwhelmed by such things as swelling of the lips, pharynx or tongue, urticaria or skin hives (itchy red bumps that form on the surface of the skin), sickness, wheezing and even pain in the abdomen.
In extreme cases anaphylactic shock can occur. Anaphylaxis is a systemic (overall body) allergic reaction. It involves a dramatic decrease in blood pressure, contracted respiratory tracts leading to breathing difficulty, lightheadedness and several other serious symptoms. It comes on very fast and if left untreated, can sometimes result in the death of the person. In the United States, some two hundred people a year die as a result of anaphylactic shock.
Sometimes, allergic reactions to food are localized. Fresh fruits and vegetables cause some to experience a kind of tingling feeling in the mouth. The reason is considered to be proteins similar to those found in ragweed pollen.
Differentiating between a food intolerance and a food allergy necessitates a professional diagnosis by an allergist.
A skin prick test can oftentimes determine whether or not somebody actually has an allergy to particular foods. This process involves taking a tiny extract of the suspected substance and inserting it just under the surface of the individuals skin. The area of skin is then watched for approximately thirty minutes to discover if any itching or swelling occurs as a result of any response to the suspect substance.
To be able to measure the quantity of IgE produced by the body when ingesting a particular food, it may be necessary for a blood test to be taken although conclusive answer|the results are not always definitive].
An example of where the symptoms are similar but not the same as an allergy is lactose intolerance. This is caused by the genetic lack of a digestive enzyme that is required by the body to process cows milk safely.
Getting rid of the problematic food from the diet and environment is the optimum and best line of defense. For instance, individuals with an known allergy to eggs should simply not consume eggs or egg based products. Others that are sensitive to peanuts and peanut dust can by and large avoid coming into contact with it.
In the absence of any recognized cure for allergies, avoidance is the best medicine for the moment However, symptom relief is possible when accidents happen. Antihistamines are a good option as is an Epipen or similar device. The latter contains ephinephrine that can be injected by allergy sufferers in an emergency situation caused by coming into contact with certain allergens. A serious attack of anaphylaxis can be headed off until professional medical assistance can be given.
Allergy Medication
There are several different types of allergy medication on the market today and they came come in several forms. These medications do have their own reactions that in return help relive you of your allergy embarrassment or pain. You need to ask your doctor about any suspicions you have about your behavior. If you think that you may have an allergy, consult your doctor immediately so he can prescribe you something of comfort.
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