Suffering From Food Allergies?
You may be hearing more and more about food allergies in recent years. That's no surprise considering an estimated 12 million Americans suffer from these types of allergies, and the number seems to be rising. Because of the prevalence and possible severity of this condition luckily awareness has increased as well.
Some people experience food intolerance instead of a food allergy which can cause confusion; they are different conditions that can cause different reactions.
People who have a food intolerance will have a delayed reaction to the trigger food, but if there is a true food allergy the reaction to the trigger will usually be seen within minutes. Also an allergy is an immune response while an intolerance is generally caused by a lack of necessary enzymes to properly digest the food.
The job of the immune system is to protect the body by watching for foreign substances that appear to be potentially harmful. When someone has a food allergy it means the body has labeled that allergen as potentially harmful and when it detects signs of this substance it will trigger a defense response. This defense response includes the release of chemicals in the body that can cause an allergic reaction.
Symptoms of an allergy reaction can show within seconds or take up to an hour. These symptoms can include swelling or tingling of the mouth, lips, throat or tongue; wheezing or difficulty breathing; diarrhea, vomiting or abdominal pain; or hives. If the reaction progresses it can result in anaphylactic shock which can involve a drop in blood pressure, loss of consciousness and in some cases death.
Food allergies seem to be more prevalent every day but the majority of allergies are caused by just eight foods -- eggs, milk, peanuts, tree nuts, seafood, shellfish, wheat and soy. In the United States these eight are responsible for over ninety percent of food allergies. While allergens may vary to some degree from country to country these eight are generally the most common.
Treatment for food allergies, as with most allergies, is to avoid the allergen. While this may seem pretty basic with a food allergy, it may not be as simple as it sounds. Many processed or packaged foods contain hidden allergens. Because of this problem the U.S. now requires companies to list foods that contain any of the main eight allergens.
While this has been quite helpful it doesn't guarantee the foods are pure and completely safe for allergy sufferers. The other problem is the possibility of cross-contamination. This happens when a machine that processes a food that contains a common allergen is also used for foods that don't contain an allergen. Even though the machines are cleaned, traces of the allergen can remain.
Those who suffer from food allergies need to fully understand food labels and they need to read them carefully. They will also need to know the other possible names of ingredients that can contain specific allergens. For example those with a milk protein allergy will also need to avoid casein because it is a form of milk protein.
People with allergies will need to be familiar with the signs of a possible allergy reaction. They will also need to know how to treat themselves to prevent or reduce the chances of anaphylactic shock. Treatment usually involves the use of an epinephrine injector, often called an EpiPen. - 17268
Some people experience food intolerance instead of a food allergy which can cause confusion; they are different conditions that can cause different reactions.
People who have a food intolerance will have a delayed reaction to the trigger food, but if there is a true food allergy the reaction to the trigger will usually be seen within minutes. Also an allergy is an immune response while an intolerance is generally caused by a lack of necessary enzymes to properly digest the food.
The job of the immune system is to protect the body by watching for foreign substances that appear to be potentially harmful. When someone has a food allergy it means the body has labeled that allergen as potentially harmful and when it detects signs of this substance it will trigger a defense response. This defense response includes the release of chemicals in the body that can cause an allergic reaction.
Symptoms of an allergy reaction can show within seconds or take up to an hour. These symptoms can include swelling or tingling of the mouth, lips, throat or tongue; wheezing or difficulty breathing; diarrhea, vomiting or abdominal pain; or hives. If the reaction progresses it can result in anaphylactic shock which can involve a drop in blood pressure, loss of consciousness and in some cases death.
Food allergies seem to be more prevalent every day but the majority of allergies are caused by just eight foods -- eggs, milk, peanuts, tree nuts, seafood, shellfish, wheat and soy. In the United States these eight are responsible for over ninety percent of food allergies. While allergens may vary to some degree from country to country these eight are generally the most common.
Treatment for food allergies, as with most allergies, is to avoid the allergen. While this may seem pretty basic with a food allergy, it may not be as simple as it sounds. Many processed or packaged foods contain hidden allergens. Because of this problem the U.S. now requires companies to list foods that contain any of the main eight allergens.
While this has been quite helpful it doesn't guarantee the foods are pure and completely safe for allergy sufferers. The other problem is the possibility of cross-contamination. This happens when a machine that processes a food that contains a common allergen is also used for foods that don't contain an allergen. Even though the machines are cleaned, traces of the allergen can remain.
Those who suffer from food allergies need to fully understand food labels and they need to read them carefully. They will also need to know the other possible names of ingredients that can contain specific allergens. For example those with a milk protein allergy will also need to avoid casein because it is a form of milk protein.
People with allergies will need to be familiar with the signs of a possible allergy reaction. They will also need to know how to treat themselves to prevent or reduce the chances of anaphylactic shock. Treatment usually involves the use of an epinephrine injector, often called an EpiPen. - 17268
About the Author:
Learn more about gluten allergies with our new site on understanding the symptoms of a gluten allergy. You'll learn about associated phenomenon such as celiac depression as well as specific troublesome symptoms like gluten intolerance constipation.
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