Food allergy is a common health problem faced by nearly 5 percent of the world’s population and by as much as 8 percent of the children in the world. Something as innocent as dining at a seafood joint or a slather of peanut butter on toast can lead to the most indescribable physical symptoms. Whether it is something as common as a bad stomach or facial hives or the more serious airway swelling, breathlessness or anaphylactic shock, the first discovery of a food allergy can be a scary experience.
Food allergies occur due to the reaction of immune system reaction to the ingestion of certain foods. Awareness of what causes food allergies and the symptoms to look out for is a first step in addressing this common ailment. What is more challenging, however, is to develop a normal and healthy lifestyle after a confirmed diagnosis of food allergy. Food allergy occurs because the body’s protective mechanism, the immune system, once having mistakenly interpreted certain proteins present in the allergy-causing food as harmful, releases combative chemicals known as histamines, whenever it senses even a minute amount of the allergen in the system. People who suffer from food allergies live a life of anxiety as they have to be constantly careful about their eating habits. Although many cures are touted, scientists are still trying to figure out why the immune system responds in this quirky way and whether there are ways to prevent it. The only effective weapon against this condition is knowledge and prudence.
Common Food Items that may Cause Food Allergies
The majority of food allergies are caused by the “big eight” offending foods, as they are commonly referred to. They are milk, eggs, peanuts or groundnuts, other nuts such as Brazil nuts, almonds or walnuts, fish, shellfish like shrimp, lobster, mussels or crab, soya, and wheat. Other than these, there are a variety of food items that the body can develop an allergy to. Since it is a protein recognition error that triggers the onset of a food allergy, one can potentially develop an allergy to almost any food item.
The danger is that food allergies can be caused by the allergen that can come from the most unpredictable source. Milk proteins may be found even in nondairy products like skin creams and hair conditioners. Exposure to nuts can accidentally come from handling birdseed. Fish and shellfish ingredients may show up in OTC supplements and vitamins, pet food, and gelatin products. Allergies to one type of nut may or may not be an indicator of allergies to other types of nuts and since globally the variety of nuts and how they are named is so wide, it may be a challenge to discern whether a product has nuts in it just by reading the ingredients.
1. Milk
The most common allergic food is milk, it is a challenge to avoid its consumption not only because it is a staple nutritional component for children but also because of the ways it can show up in so called non dairy products of daily use.
2. Eggs
One must watch out for egg based immunizations. Check what immunization options are available for you or your child if there is a diagnosis of egg allergy.
3. Peanuts or Groundnuts
Peanut allergies tend to be more acute than other allergies. Allergic reactions resulting in anaphylaxis is most common with peanut allergies. Peanut allergies also are the ones that children are least likely to outgrow and most of them will need to learn to stay away from peanuts or groundnuts lifelong.
4. Other tree nuts
Tree nuts have a higher chronicity or persistence than peanuts and groundnuts with 90 percent of treenut allergies continue lifelong. Like other nuts, allergic reactions can be life threatening and acute.
5. Fish
Statistically more prevalent among adults than children, fish allergies are also severe and largely not prone to remission, staying with the afflicted lifelong. In some cases, the allergy might be to only a particular type of fish, while in others it may be to all species of fish. Patients with fish allergy need to be extremely cautious as fish and fish bones are used in a host of other industries, such as pet foods, fertilizers, etc.
6. Shellfish
This would include crustacean items like lobster, shrimps, and crayfish and mollusks like oysters and mussels and is the most common form of food allergy in adults. People with shellfish allergies may be sensitive to either crustaceans or to molluks or to both.
7. Soya
Primarily afflicting children and rarely seen in adults, it is not uncommon to mistake intolerance to soya as soya allergy. Once confirmed with a diagnosis of soya allergy, the person has to be cautious as soya derivatives are present in several food products, from bean bags and stuffed toys to vitamin E products and some skin and hair care products. Nowadays soya derivatives are being used even in flooring, wall paints, and tarmac coatings.
8. Wheat
Wheat allergies have been an ongoing mystery to allergy experts as they are typically found to be triggered in conjunction with exercise. Often confused with the gluten intolerance of Celiac disease, wheat allergy is typically seen in children.
With so many allergens out there, if you are already allergic to certain food items, the best tool is to arm yourself with information and make choices prudently. When in doubt, opt out. No great loss with happen if you do not have that imported chocolate bar which has ingredients that you cannot identify.
Common Symptoms of Food Allergy
The most common ways in which a food allergy attack presents itself include itchy and tingly tongue and mouth, hives or eczema, lip and tongue swelling, breathlessness and wheezing, abdominal discomfort with or without diarrhea or vomiting, and dizziness or lightheadedness that may or may not lead to syncopal episodes or fainting.
1. Mouth tingling and itchiness
Ingestion of the allergic food can result in acute itchiness and tingling sensation in the mouth. There may be symptoms of swelling, hives or excessive tears.
2. Hives or eczema
Certain allergens may cause the person to break out into hives or red bumpy swelling that can appear on the face or other parts of the body. Eczematous reactions may also appear where the skin gets an inflamed and blistery appearance.
3. Lip and tongue swelling
When the food allergens react with the vessels of the lip, mouth, and tongue, they can result in swelling of these parts, leading to other associated symptoms like difficulty in speaking or breathing.
4. Abdominal pain and diarrhea or vomiting
As the food allergy reaches the digestive system, it can bring on a spell of acute gastric discomfort with nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting.
5. Dizziness, lightheadedness, and anaphylaxis
Certain food allergies cause a reaction with the vascular and circulatory systems resulting in a dramatic drop in blood pressure, and the person can experience symptoms like dizziness and faintness.
