Have you or your dear ones ever experienced any itchy sensation over the body, swelling face especially around the lips or eyes and vomiting while eating a specific food? The condition is allergy arises due to specific foods.
A person is said to have an allergy to specific food when the body's immune system reacts unusually. Sometimes the allergic reactions will be mild and there are instances when the reactions would be fatal like breathing issues, palpitations and so on. Mostly food allergies affect children under three years of age, but even adults may also suffer from allergic reactions due to food.
Mostly, the symptoms of food allergy can affect different parts of the body at the same time. Commonly seen signs and symptoms includes, itchy skin, rashes over the body, swelling of the face, eyes and lips, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and bloating. In certain allergic reactions, there could be difficulty in breathing, trouble swallowing and speaking, feeling dizziness and fainting
Reasons for food allergies
The exact reason for developing allergies to food is still unknown. Though food plays many essential roles in the body, the protein in the food may lead to allergic reactions among a few people and lead to the release of histamine. When certain foods are consumed, our body’s immune system by mistake treats them as infectious agents. This leads to the release of chemicals that would result in allergic reactions. Any food or ingredient can cause an allergic reaction, but certain foods account for most food allergies.
Mild and Severe allergic reactions
Types of food allergies
Depending on symptoms and occurrence, food allergies were classified into three.
Oral allergy syndrome or pollen-food syndrome is a food allergy in which people experience itchiness in the mouth and throat, with mild swelling, that too immediately after eating fresh fruits or vegetables. This is caused by allergic antibodies mistaking certain proteins in fresh fruits, nuts or vegetables for pollen. This allergy generally doesn't cause severe symptoms, and also thorough cooking will deactivate the allergens present in these fruits and vegetables.
Some Misconceptions
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Food intolerance is not the same as a food allergy.
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Lactose intolerance __ is misconceived as a food allergy. But that is not correct. Lactose intolerance is caused due to the absence of the enzyme lactase.
Management for food allergies
Allergic reactions due to food are bothersome as well as fatal to life and hence it is better to manage them well. The best way to prevent any food allergic reaction is to recognize the food that is causing the allergy and then avoid it henceforth. Sharing a few tips for better management of food allergies.
- Know what you’re eating and drinking.
- Check labels for ingredients and avoid any allergic substances present.
- Avoid making any sudden dietary changes. Discuss with the physician and coach before adding and withdrawing foods from the diet. Ask for substitutes if any food group is withdrawn to compensate for nutritional deficiencies.
- Antihistamines are proven to help in relieving the symptoms of mild as well as moderate allergic reactions. Also, a higher dose of antihistamine is often required to control acute allergic symptoms. In the case of severe allergic symptoms, such as anaphylaxis, Adrenaline can be used. All this must be done strictly under medical supervision only.
- People with food allergies are advised to carry a device known as an auto-injector pen, which contains doses of adrenaline that can be used in case of emergencies. Consult with a physician prior.
- Wearing an emergency medical bracelet that outlines the clinical condition recommended treatments, and drugs to avoid. In this way, even if an individual is unconscious or unable to reply, the medical team can take necessary action without any delay.
References
- Wai, C., Leung, N., Chu, K. H., Leung, P., Leung, A., Wong, G., & Leung, T. F. (2020). Overcoming Shellfish Allergy: How Far Have We Come?. International journal of molecular sciences, 21 (6), 2234. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms21062234
