Food Allergies: Be Careful of What You Eat

To most people, an ice cream sundae topped with strawberries and caramel syrup sounds like the perfect dessert. However, for those who suffer from certain food allergies, they may have to avoid such a treat. Many people suffer from various food allergies. Although there is no known medical cause for food allergies, allergens can range from milk and other dairy products, fruits, meats, wheat, fish, soy, and nuts. When you have a food allergy, your immune system mistakenly believes that the food is harmful and as a result, it creates antibodies to attack it. Whenever you eat foods that you are allergic to, your immune system releases large amounts of chemicals in order to protect your body. The chemicals released in the body are what trigger the allergic symptoms experienced in response to coming in contact with allergens.

Food allergies can affect your cardiovascular system, gastrointestinal tract, skin, or respiratory system. Symptoms of a food allergy reaction include, skin tingling, itching, rash, swelling, difficulty breathing, hives, vomiting, nausea, abdominal cramps, diarrhea, or even more serious, anaphylaxis. Symptoms usually appear within a couple minutes to a couple of hours of consuming the allergen. In severe cases, if the reaction isn’t treated soon enough, it can be fatal.

There isn’t any medical cure for food allergies. Instead, doctors can test individuals for allergies so that they know which foods to avoid. If you have a milk allergy, you should avoid all products containing milk because your body is allergic to one or more of the ingredients found in milk. It’s important not to confuse a food allergy with food intolerance. For instance, if a person is lactose intolerant that does not mean that they are allergic to milk. It means that their body doesn’t produce the enzyme, lactase which is used to help digest milk. However, if a person has a milk allergy, their immune system will form antibodies to attack the properties in milk or products containing milk when consumed. While the only way to avoid an allergic reaction to a food is to avoid the food, it’s not always a good idea to just eliminate certain foods from your diet without talking to your physician or a registered dietitian first. This way, you can make the required changes to your diet without depriving your body of needed nutrients.

When it comes to allergies, many people may not know that age can play a factor. Most doctors with warn parents not to feed children under two years of age any berries. Young children can have severe reactions to berries and it can be detrimental to their health. Many with an allergy to berries will develop skin conditions such as eczema, swelling, or hives. In addition to skin problems, your respiratory system can be affected as well. One of the most severe allergic reaction someone can experience when consuming any food they are allergic to is anaphylaxis (also know as anaphylactic shock). This severe allergic reaction causes swelling of the mouth, throat, and airways leading to your lungs, which leaves you unable to breathe. You can pass out or your body can go into shock. If not treated as soon as possible, a person can die.

For those with severe food allergies, your doctor will most likely have you carry shots of epinephrine which counter allergic reactions. Many people with allergies carry these self injecting shots with them in case of an emergency. You should also be very careful when eating out in restaurants. If you’re allergic to peanuts and your food is prepared in peanut oil then of course you’re in danger of having a severe allergic reaction. Ask questions about tell the cook if you have any food allergies. Be sure to read labels before purchasing food in stores because certain foods warn that they were created in the same place as things you may be allergic too. It can be painstaking to avoid all of your allergens but you will benefit from it and avoid severe reactions. If you think you have a food allergy, it’s a good idea to keep a food diary which includes what you ate and what symptoms you experienced after eating. This will help your doctor to determine if you have a food allergy and will also inform you of what steps you should take next.