Food Allergies Causes and Symptoms
Definition of Food Allergies:
A food allergy occurs when you eat some food that your body incorrectly believes to be harmful to you. This mistaken response triggers your immune system to react against it which is the reaction that immediately follows usually within a few minutes or hours of exposure.
Causes of Food Allergies:
Food allergies are caused by part of the food not being able to be digested correctly. These undigested items, usually proteins, are tagged by the body as harmful. This triggers the body’s immune system to take action against this perceived attack. This is what triggers the allergic reaction.
The following foods are the ones that most commonly cause allergic reactions, milk, eggs, nuts, seafood, shellfish, soy and wheat. This list is not exhaustive allergies to food are personal and are a reaction to a specific protein contained in the food. Different countries are also more predisposed to be allergic to particular items. Scientist do not know why this is or indeed why the immune system triggers such a reaction to something that is not harmful to it.
Symptoms of Food Allergies:
Allergic reactions (anaphylaxis) to food can take several forms from localized reactions in various systems. These symptoms usually present themselves within minutes or hours of exposure to the allergen:
Respiratory – wheezing; asthma; low oxygen levels.
Cardiovascular – coronary artery spasms; myocardial infarction; dysrhythmia.
Gastrointestinal – diarrhea; vomiting; stomach cramps; abdominal pains.
Skin – Hives; itchiness; swelling of lips, tongue and/or throat; eczema
Nervous System – drop in blood pressure; dizziness; loss of consciousness; anxiety; loss of bladder control
However some allergic reactions can cause a system wide reaction such as Anaphylactic Shock which is caused by low blood pressure and severe broncho constriction.
FAQ:
What are gluten allergy symptoms?
As with all food allergies symptoms are different from person to person. This means that one person may have mild symptoms whilst someone else might have a much more severe reaction. Just like any other food allergy there is the potential for a life threatening reaction however the most common symptoms are eczema, hay fever, hives, abdominal pain, vomiting and asthma.
A gluten allergy should not be confused with Coeliac Disease which is gluten intolerance and has a different set of symptoms.
What is a good food allergies diet?
There is no such thing as a good food allergies diet. You have to first fully identify what food groups your allergic reaction is being triggered by. In order to do this you need to seek help from a medical practitioner who will refer you for various tests. Once the results are known you will be advised of the best treatment for that particular food allergy. This is likely to be either a total exclusion of the food and its derivatives from your diet or your doctor may suggest that you try desensitization first.
Can food allergies cause weight gain?
Water retention as a result of an allergy can cause weight gain and bloating.
How to test for food allergies?
An allergist can perform tests for allergies these consist of skin prick tests, blood tests and food challenges.
Skin prick tests – skin testing on the arm is a common way for detecting an allergy. The allergens are placed either on a board or directly on the skin. The board is then placed on the skin, so that the skin can then be punctured and the allergens to enter the body. If a hive appears, the person will be considered positive for the allergy.
Blood tests – this another way to test for allergies. It does not work for every possible allergen. However, using a blood test means that many allergens can be tested at one time.
Food challenges – the allergen is given to the person orally in the form of a tablet. The patient is watched for symptoms. The problem with food challenges is that they must be performed in hospital under supervision of medical staff, due to the possibility of anaphylaxis.
Resources and Organization:
http://www.faiusa.org/
http://www.niaid.nih.gov/topics/foodallergy/Pages/default.aspx
http://www.foodallergy.org/
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