Food Allergy- A Quick Guide

First things first! Food allergy is nothing but an immune system centric reaction that happens immediately after a food intake. As a result, even having a small amount of allergy causing foods can pave way for signs and symptoms such as digestive issues, swollen airways and hives.

It can also be life threatening for some people with severe symptoms leading to a condition called anaphylaxis. Food allergies are observed to be affecting 6-8% children under the age of 5 and also about 3-4% of adults. People easily get confused between food tolerance and food allergy. Clearing the air, food tolerance is a much less serious issue and has no relation with the immune system being affected due to it.

Some Common & Frequent Symptoms Of Food Allergy: 

• Hives, eczema or itching 
• Itching and tingling of the mouth 
• Face, lips, throat, tongue and other body parts swelling 
• Nasal congestion/difficulty in breathing and wheezing 
• Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and other abdominal pain 
• Fainting, lightheadedness and dizziness 

Causes Of Food Allergies:

Since it’s a food allergy, let’s see some of the major food types which are the major reasons for it;

• Peanuts
• Fish, crab, lobster and shrimp 
• Eggs
• Walnuts and pecans
• Milk
• Tree nuts
• Wheat  

Risk Factors For Food Allergies: 

• Family history- If you have a family member affected from food allergy, even you are at a higher risk to develop the condition likely. 
• Past episodes of food allergies- Children with past episodes of food allergies   may again get affected. 
• Other allergies- If one is affected by food allergies due to one food, you are at an increased risk of becoming allergic to another and develop food allergies eventually. 
• Age- Infants and toddlers are at an increased risk of developing food allergies.
• People with Asthma- People affected from asthma are bound to be affected from food allergies as they occur together commonly with severe symptoms. 

Complications Of Food Allergies:

• Anaphylaxis- It is a life threatening allergic physical condition 
• Migraines- During an allergic reaction, histamine is released by our immune system which could easily trigger migraines. 
• Atopic Dermatitis (Eczema)

Treatment Options Of Food Allergies:

• Keep a tab on all the possible symptoms of allergy for relief that you observe and could think of and report it to a known medical practitioner. 
• You can take prescribed medications such as Epipen under the observation of an expert doctor. 
• Never ignore any unusual sign at your discretion and report it immediately to a qualified medical professional at the earliest. 
• Make some lifestyle changes such as ignoring all food types that you are allergic to and replace it with other food types so that you don’t lose out on the nutrition part. 

Try to keep a tab on all the aforementioned aspects of food allergies and keep yourself alert to keep its adverse effects at bay and cure it minus blemishes.