Information You Need To Know About Food Allergies

A food allergy is a reaction that your body has to something that you ate. It can be a food or it can be an ingredient in that food, usually a protein. A food allergy reaction can be mild such as a stuffy nose or it can be serious such as difficulty breathing.

Many different foods can cause food allergies but there are eight that are the most common food allergens. The eight most common food allergens are milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts such as cashews and walnuts, soy, wheat, fish and shellfish.

Adults and children, even infants can have food allergic reactions. Food allergies can run in families. This is why if parents, sisters or brothers are known to have food allergies Pediatricians consider a new baby to be a high risk for food allergies and will be extra careful with introducing new foods to this baby. Children can sometimes outgrow food allergies when they are older, but not always. Adults who are still showing allergic reactions to foods usually remain for the rest of their life.

Exercise can sometimes be associated with food allergies.

Some food allergy symptoms center on the gastrointestinal tract and cause symptoms of the stomach and intestines only such as gas, nausea, diarrhea, vomiting and abdominal pain.

Skin reactions can be food allergy symptoms such as rashes or hives or eczema.

Other symptoms have to do with the nose and mouth including breathing such as stuffy nose, runny nose, itchy mouth, itchy throat, shortness of breath, coughing and closed airway.

Severe reactions to food include the breathing ones of wheezing, fainting, and closed airway. Anaphylaxis is life threatening allergic reaction to a food and can also include facial flushing, itching, hives, difficulty talking or breathing, low blood pressure or unconsciousness. In anaphylaxis the symptoms usually appear quickly after ingesting the food, sometimes with mere minutes. Immediate medical attention is needed to save the individual's life. An injection of epinephrine is given to help open up the airway and to help reverse the anaphylaxis reaction.

An allergist makes a diagnosis of food allergy, which is a specialist who has had special training understanding and diagnosing allergies including food allergies. A diagnosis is made after careful medical history is taken from the patient or the patient's parent or caregiver. Sometimes the allergist will ask the patient to keep a food diary so that the allergist can gather essential information about your reaction to food from it. The allergist may order several tests including a skin prick test, a RAST test, which is a blood test, and food, challenges.

After the diagnosis is made the allergist will design an allergy management plan to help you control the symptoms of your food allergy. The most important part of the treatment plan will be learning how to avoid the food that you are allergic to.

Helpful Hints on Reading Labels to Avoid Food Reactions

Did you know that even the most diligent of food label scanning can still result in allergic reactions to your food? It's true. Some products labeled dairy-free or gluten-free may still contain some enzyme or chemical that is derived from the very products you are trying to avoid. For this reason, the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) is currently working on a series of definitions for food descriptions that would become the standard in the industry.

Right now, food labeling is a requirement. The top food allergy triggers must be clearly listed on all food packaging if it contains those particular food products. Even if the foods do not contain allergens themselves, if they are made in the same factory that produces other food products that do contain allergens, the product must also clearly state that. For example, many cereal manufacturers may produce a cereal that contains no allergens that cause a reaction but if it is produced in the same manufacturing plant that produces cereal with nuts in it, this could be a problem.

While reading food labels is a very smart move, you must become more educated on the different ways that an ingredient can be described, particular if it is derived from something you are allergic to. Here are some things you should keep an eye on:

• Always read the product label, even if it is a product you have bought for years. On occasion, manufacturers will change how they make things or alter ingredients slightly and they can do so without warning. Therefore, label reading for even the tried and true product staples in your home is a must.
• When a label says its "free" of something, please note that these claims are not regulated by the federal government and therefore still could contain trace amounts of the ingredient derivative. For instance, powdered coffee creamers may say dairy-free but the fact is they still contain some type of milk derivative in powdered form.
• The "may contain" line on food labels can catch consumers unaware as well and while this covers the manufacturer, it is a pain in the backside. "May contain" basically means that there could have been some type of contamination of a product with a known allergen. The cereal example mentioned in an above paragraph is a prime example of this.

The problem is that sometimes, the food label is a bit ambiguous. Do you even chance consuming a product that has the "may contain" certain ingredients in it? Or do you avoid them altogether? If your food allergies are mild, perhaps you could but there are no guarantees. It is this Russian roulette type of approach to food labeling and consumption that the FDA is trying to address.

The best practice to follow when protecting you from food allergies is to avoid anything suspect. Seek out internet grocery stores that cater to people just like you with food allergies who can guarantee products. Look to health food stores and other shops that guarantee similar protection with their food items. 

Proper Precautions for those with Egg Allergies

The egg is a popular food item and is used in a variety of ways from scrambled eggs for breakfast to an ingredient in cakes, breads and even meatballs. The egg is a common binding ingredient so it can be found in countless products and recipes. However, what if you had an egg allergy?

Infants and young children are the ones most susceptible to eggs and they are the majority when it comes to egg allergies. For the most part, most of these babies and children outgrow the allergy within a few years once their bodies and immune system mature a bit. But do you know what to look for when someone has a reaction to eggs?

Signs of Reaction

Because the body views the egg as a foreign substance that could be harmful to you, it will use special antibodies to fight back. During this battle, the person affected could become nauseous and vomit or even get a rash or hives. The effect could be almost instantaneous (which is easy to diagnose and attribute to eggs) or it could be several hours, making a food allergy diagnosis more difficult.

Skin reactions to an egg allergy could include the hives and rash as mentioned above in addition to general swelling and even allergy-induced eczema. In addition to the nausea and vomiting, abdominal pain due to gas and cramps could occur. Swelling or a burning, itching sensation in the mouth is likely too.  Wheezing, low blood pressure rapid pulse, dripping nose and breathing difficulty could occur too.

In extreme cases of egg allergies, the person affected could develop anaphylaxis which is a serious condition in which your blood pressure drops, air passageways swell causing breathing difficulty and even unconsciousness. A dose of epinephrine is needed almost immediately to counteract these life threatening symptoms.

Proper Precautions

If you or someone you know has an egg allergy, you have to avoid any and all egg products totally. You cannot even have products that call themselves egg substitutes because they still have egg product in them – the egg whites to be specific. Be sure to look at food labels and read the ingredients. It may not always say that it contains egg specifically. The label may list dried egg white, egg yolk, powdered eggs, egg solids and more.

In addition, there are other ingredients that while not an actual egg may be derived from the egg, its proteins or other chemicals. Albumin, lysozyme, vitellin and albuminate are all examples of ingredients that should be avoided. Other ingredients to watch out for start with the letters "ovo" like ovomucoid, ovoglobulin and ovovitella.

Carrying a card that lists eggs and its derivatives in your wallet, purse or backpack is a smart idea, especially if you cannot remember them all. This memory aid will help you identify and avoid egg products and prevent food allergic reactions. Also, you will want to talk with your doctor about whether getting a flu shot is a smart idea given it is derived from eggs. Talk with them about medications and supplements as well. Having a global view of what other items to avoid in addition to just food products is helpful.

Evaluating Food Allergies

Food allergy or food intolerance affects nearly everyone at some point.  When someone has an unpleasant reaction to something they ate, they often think that they have an allergy to the food.  Food allergy is an abnormal response to food that is triggered by a specific reaction in the immune system and expressed by certain symptoms.  Food intolerance is also an abnormal response to food.  Its symptoms can resemble those of food allergies however food intolerance is fare more prevalent and is triggered by several different mechanisms that are distinct from the immunological reaction responsible for food allergy.  Anyone with a food allergy must attempt to identify and prevent them because these reactions may cause devastating illness and potentially be fatal.

Diagnosing a food allergy can be a challenge for most doctors.  First the doctor must determine if the patient is having an adverse reaction to specific foods.  The doctor makes this assessment with the help of a detailed history from the patient, the patient’s dietary diary, or an elimination diet.  The doctor then confirms the diagnosis by the more objective skin tests, blood tests, or food challenges.  The dietary history is the most important diagnostic tool. The physician interviews the patient to determine if the facts are consistent with a food allergy.  If the patient’s history, dietary diary, or elimination diet suggests that a specific food allergy is likely, the doctor will then use tests, such as skin tests, blood tests, and a food challenge, which can more objectively confirm an allergic response to food. 

Some people have an allergic reaction to a food that is triggered by exercise.  As the body is stimulated by exercise, a person with an exercise induced food allergy may feel itchy and lightheaded.  In more severe cases, reactions such as hives or anaphylaxis may occur.  Not eating for a few hours prior to exercising may help prevent this problem.  Some fresh fruits and vegetables may also trigger a mild allergic reaction that causes the mouth to tingle or itch.  This is called cross-reactivity in which the proteins in fruits and vegetables cause the reaction because they are similar to allergy causing proteins found in certain pollens.  Most cooked fruits and vegetables generally do not cause cross-reactive oral allergy symptoms.

Food allergy reactions can vary from person to person.  Some reactions can be very mild and only involve one part of the body.  Other reactions may be more severe and involve more than one part of the body.  Reactions can occur within a few minutes or up to a few hours after contact with the food.  A serious allergic reaction with widespread effects on the body is known as anaphylaxis.  This sudden and potentially life threatening allergic reaction involves two or more body areas.  In addition, there may also be swelling of the airway, serious 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 ask in depth questions, perform a physical exam, and perform tests to help make a diagnosis.

Diagnosing Food Allergies

There are some specific things that a doctor can do to help you discover if the cause of your symptoms is a food allergy. The doctor can utilize a questionnaire, a physical exam, study a food journal kept by the patient, scratch skin test results and use a food elimination diet.

The Questionnaire:

A doctor may give the patient a questionnaire to fill out. The answers are then used to determine if there is a pattern that would suggest a food allergy. The results of the questionnaire will help decide if more tests are needed. Some common questions asked on this type of questionnaire are:

What reaction did you have that you suspect is from a food allergy?

When did the reaction occur, how long after eating the food?

Did anyone else get sick who had eaten the same food?

How much of the suspect food did the patient eat before a reaction was noticed?

Was the food raw or prepared?

Were there other foods that were eaten at the same time?

Does the patient suffer from other conditions that may be attributed to food allergies such as ear infections, eczema, or asthma?

Food Diary:

A food diary is simply a record of everything the patient eats and a note of any reactions that the patient experiences after the meal or snack. The patient and doctor sit down and read the diary making note of anything that suggests a pattern of food allergic reaction.

Elimination Diet:

An elimination diet is a tool used to determine if a specific food allergy is likely. The doctor will instruct the patient not to eat a particular food for a certain time period. If the symptoms go away when the patient does not eat the food and then when the food is reintroduced into the diet the symptoms return, the doctor can then have an idea about what is causing the reaction. The doctor may do this pattern with several foods.

The doctor may wish to measure an allergic reaction by using a scratch skin test. These tests are quick, simple, and relatively safe. The doctor will match a positive skin scratch test with the patient's own history of having a reaction to that particular food. It is possible to have a positive skin test without having a reaction to eating that food. The danger in skin scratch tests occurs when the patient has a severe reaction to the skin test called an anaphylactic reaction, which can be dangerous, even deadly.

There is also a method called a double-blind food challenge. Foods suspected of causing a food reaction is placed in opaque capsules are swallowed by the patient and the doctor watches for a reaction to occur; the process is repeated for each suspected food. Individuals with a history of severe reactions should not take this method. The method is called double blind because neither the doctor nor patient are aware of what food substances are in which capsules.