Up to 60 million people have a kind of food allergies. But do you know how to cure food allergies and manage food sensitivities? The symptoms are common in children but can appear at any age. It is possible to be allergic to a food you already have eaten for years with no problems. Only an allergist can evaluate the symptoms and find the source.
The body has an immune system that keeps you healthy and fights off dangers to good health. Food allergies reaction appears when the immune system overreacts to a food or a component of your food, and identify it as a danger. The immune system triggers a protective response. When an allergy run in a family, it is possible to predict if a child will inherit his parent’s food allergy or siblings will have a similar symptom.
Symptoms of food allergy appear in many forms, from easy to severe. The most dangerous allergic reaction is anaphylaxis, a life-threatening whole-body allergic reaction. The breath can impair the breathing, cause a drop in the blood pressure and change the heart rate. Anaphylaxis can appear within minutes of exposure to the trigger food. Anaphylaxis can be fatal and needs a prompt injection of epinephrine – adrenaline.
Foods that cause food allergies
Any food can cause an adverse reaction, but eight type of food is responsible for 90% of reactions: eggs, peanuts, milk, fish, tree nuts, wheat, and shellfish. Food allergies are produced in children more often than in adults.
Seeds, such as sesame and mustard are a common food for allergy triggers. Someone can consider allergies easy to heal. It is vital to make an intolerance test to be healthy. An allergic reaction is hard to take. The symptoms can be
- Hives
- Vomiting and stomach cramps
- Wheezing
- Shortness of breath
- Shock or circulatory collapse
- The pale or blue coloring of the skin
- Anaphylaxis – a life-threatening reaction.
Food allergies symptoms occur within two hours of ingestion. Sometimes they start within minutes. People developing allergies must take a test to avoid any problems.
Importance of intolerance testing
Not everyone who experiences symptoms after ingesting certain foods has a food allergy. The symptoms can indicate a reaction to pollen. People can destroy the allergen by cooking the food. People with food allergies should receive care from a certificated allergist. Allergy testing to more than one item is useful in ruling out an allergy.
An oral food challenge should be conducted by experienced allergist on their office cot at a food challenge center. There is necessary equipment on hand.
Want to know more about identifying your sensitivities and allergies? Please speak to our Customer Service advisors on www.testmyallergy.com in order to find out which test should be best for you and how you can best manage and cope with your sensitivities.
