|
Belgian Chocolate | Barbecue - Grilled to Perfection | Coffee | Contact |
Understanding Food Allergy
Understanding Food Allergy
A food allergy is basically an immune system response to a particular food, or foods, that the body mistakenly believes is harmful. An individual may be allergic to any food, such as vegetables, fruits, and meats there are eight particular foods which account for the majority of all food allergic reactions. These particular foods are milk, peanut, fish, egg, tree nut, shellfish, soy, and wheat. Allergic reactions to certain foods typically begin within minutes to a few hours after eating the food. The frequency and severity of symptoms may vary widely from one person to another. When symptoms first appear, it is important to differentiate between a real food allergy and another potential cause. Often the cause may be something other than a food allergy, most commonly simple food intolerance.
A food allergy is the result of the body’s immune system overreacting to food proteins. Not all adverse reactions to food are due to allergy. Some reactions to milk may be related to a deficiency of an enzyme that normally breaks down a sugar in milk. When individuals with lactase deficiency drink cow’s milk or eat other dairy products, they may experience intestinal symptoms, typically misinterpreted as a food allergy. Almost any food can cause an allergic reaction and some individuals are only allergic to one food, while others may be allergic to several types of food. Cow’s milk is the leading cause of allergic reactions in very young children. Milk allergy affects about 2 percent to 3 percent of infants worldwide, and its signs and symptoms can be serious enough to cause distress for both the allergic child, but also for the child’s family. Most children do outgrow a milk allergy by age 2 or 3.
Currently, the only way to treat food allergies is to avoid the foods which trigger reactions. Even the most diligent label readers are likely to be inadvertently exposed to proteins that elicit an allergic response at some point. Anaphylactic allergic reactions can be fatal even when they begin with mild symptoms such as a tingling in the mouth and throat or gastrointestinal discomfort. Antihistamines and bronchodilators can be used to treat less severe symptoms. Food manufacturers and consumer groups are working with the Federal Drug Administration to increase public awareness of the seriousness of food allergen reactions and to ensure that allergens are appropriately labeled in food products.
Food allergies are typically treated by avoiding the offending allergen in the diet. Once a food to which the patient is sensitive has been identified, the food must be removed from the diet. To do this, patients need to read a lengthy and detailed list of ingredients on the label for each food they consider eating. Many allergy producing foods such as eggs, peanuts, and milk appear in foods that are not ordinarily associated with them. Patients with severe food allergies must be prepared to treat an anaphylactic reaction. These individuals should carry a syringe of adrenaline, or epinephrine, obtained by prescription from their doctors and be prepared to self administer it if they think they are developing an allergic reaction. They should then seek immediate medical help by either calling 911 or having themselves transported to an emergency room.
News About Food Allergies Summit Up 3-14-10 (Summit Daily News) 14 Mar 2010 at 8:45am Good Morning and welcome to Summit Up, the world's only daily column demanding more peanuts on airplanes. We understand there's a liability for people with food allergies, but pretzels fail to offer equivalent satisfaction. *** So we've got a Scum Alert!! Scum Alert!!: The roads are out of control! Early Saturday afternoon found us driving from Frisco to Keystone amid awful chaos. First was the ... Rates of food sensitivity vary by country: study (China Daily) 14 Mar 2010 at 8:11pm NEW YORK - People in Portland are more likely than those in Iceland to be sensitive to certain foods, but reactions to fish, eggs and cow's milk appear rare in both places, new research suggests. Testing children for allergies: doctor to speak at Newton-Wellesley Hospital ... 12 Mar 2010 at 7:31am Do you think you or your child may have an allergy? What kinds of tests are used to check for specific allergies? At what age is allergy testing reliable? Can testing show whether your child has ?outgrown? an allergy? These are some of the questions that will be answered by Dr. Lisa Stutius on Tuesday, March 16 at 7:00 p.m. at Newton-Wellesley Hospital. Recent Studies Link Obesity To Food Allergies (Medical News Today) 11 Mar 2010 at 6:31am First Lady Michelle Obama's "Let's Move" Campaign tells us that about 32 percent of children and teens (or 25 million) are obese or overweight. It revealed those extra pounds put them at greater risk of developing debilitating and costly diseases including diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol and may also cause them to lead a two to five year shorter life than their parents... National Jewish Health receives $450,000 grant to study how different familie... 9 Mar 2010 at 11:37pm Families with food-allergic children face a life of constant vigilance and the looming fear of life-threatening allergic reactions. This fear can have a huge impact on an entire family's life, from heightened anxiety to severe limits on their daily activities. Some families cope well with this situation, while others find it extremely stressful and difficult to manage. Immune cells that fight parasites may promote allergies and asthma (Science D... 11 Mar 2010 at 2:22pm Millions of people in both the developing and developed world may benefit from new immune-system research findings that identify a cell population that fights off parasitic infections but also causes allergies and asthma. Identification Of Immune Cells That Fight Parasites May Promote Allergies And... 13 Mar 2010 at 6:34am Millions of people in both the developing and developed world may benefit from new immune-system research findings from the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine. The Penn Vet researchers, studying how the immune system operates, have discovered a previously unidentified cell population that may be the body's double-edged sword, fighting off parasitic infections but also ... Poor pup's a little stinker (Miami Herald) 12 Mar 2010 at 7:18pm Q: Our dog Abbie's gas smells so bad we all have to leave the room when she lets one fly. She has many food allergies, so she's on a special diet. Is there anything we can give her or add to her food? Food for Thought (Guymon Daily Herald) 12 Mar 2010 at 9:58am "Fighting hunger... Feeding hope" is the long standing motto of the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma. By CHRISTIE KENNELLY This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it Childhood food allergies 'an epidemic' (BigPond News) 9 Mar 2010 at 4:11am Experts say 15,000 Australian children born this year would develop a potentially fatal food allergy. 
Food Allergy Books & Resources Amazon Price: $16.50 Customer Review: This is the best book if you have kids with food allergies. My daughter is allergic to dairy, egg, and peanuts. My son is allergic to wheat. Since getting this book I have made banana muffins, cinnamon rolls, and cookies that both my kids have gob...  Amazon Price: $12.21 Customer Review: This recipes book has some GREAT recipes! The gluten free CARROT CAKE is bar none the best cake I've ever had. All of my gluten eating friends requst this cake and like it better than the regular carrot cake. I have tried several recipes from this...  Amazon Price: $10.85 Customer Review: I've made three cupcake recipes from this book and they have all come out perfectly. The instructions are easy to follow. The icing taste great. Good book if you're just getting started with vegan baking...or any baking for that matter.  Amazon Price: $16.32 Customer Review: This art and science of gluten-free baking is imperfect at best. Many cookbooks make it to market w/o the recipes being properly tested, instead equivalents figured on paper to make it easier on the home baker or cook. Sometimes these don't translate...  Amazon Price: $15.61 Customer Review: This book has the most beautiful photography and I was so excited to get it in the mail! I have recently started to avoid beans so i just substituted a commercial all-purpose rice-based blend with good results! Thrilled with my purchase!  Customer Review: P... Essential Formulas/Probiotics12Plus, 60 count box Amazon Price: Customer Review: G... 
|
More Articles
Making The Food Allergy Diagnosis
Questions Often Asked About Food Allergies
How To Live With An Egg Allergy
Discover The Difference Between A Food Allergy And A Food Intolerance
What To Do If You Or Someone In Your Family Has A Food Allergy
Allergies And Food Sensitivities
Creating Your Own Emergency First Aid Food Allergy Kit
|
Related Products And FREE Videos
More Articles
Surviving Multiple Food Allergies
... peanuts, soy and wheat are the main culprits. Children typically outgrow their allergies, but most adults do not lose theirs. Currently, the only way to treat food allergies is to avoid the foods which trigger reactions. Even the most diligent label readers are likely to be inadvertently exposed to proteins ...
Food Intolerance And Sensitivity
... Histamine can reach high levels in cheese, certain kinds of fish, and some wines. If someone eats one of these foods with a high level of histamine, that person may have a reaction that strongly resembles an allergic reaction to food. This reaction is called histamine toxicity. Another type of food intolerance ...
... difficulty with breathing, a drop in blood pressure, loss of consciousness, and in some cases, even death. The primary caregiver will look for any other condition that could cause the symptoms. If the doctor suspects a food allergy, the patient will likely be referred to an allergy specialist, who will ...
Babies At Mealtime How To Feed In The Midst Of Family Food Allergies
... one or both parents have allergies, especially food related ones the probability is over 50% that the children will have food allergies. If this scenario fits, you are probably worried about what to feed your newborn. There are several official entities like the American Academy of Pediatrics who have ...
Five Primary Ways To Test For Food Allergies
... when you eat the problem foods. The RAST test is the next line of defense for conclusive allergy testing when the scratch test on the skin is inconclusive. It is also prescribed when the doctors feel that the scratch test may be too risky for some patients. When the RAST test is positive, this proves ...