An allergy is the body’s bad response to an element or entity. Certain types of food can cause a person to have an allergy attack. Most food allergies are triggered by proteins and every allergy symptom is different from another, depending on the type of protein taken in by the body.
Why Food Allergies Occur
A food allergy occurs when the immune system identifies a protein as a harmful organism by mistake. Protein fragments that are digested are tagged or marked by Immunoglobulin E. These tags mislead the body’s immune system into mistaking the undigested proteins as harmful organisms. Because the immune system thinks that harmful elements have infiltrated and attacked the body, this then sets off an allergic reaction.
Allergic reactions vary from mild to serious. Reactions include respiratory distress, dermatitis or gastrointestinal problems. More serious allergic reactions include vasodilation (blood vessels widen as its muscular walls relax) and anaphylactic shock.
Common Foods That Cause Allergies
Ninety percent of all food allergies are triggered by the following: milk, peanut, fish, wheat, egg, tree nuts, shellfish and soy. According to research, a majority of children who have allergic reactions to milk outgrow them after a few years. From 1997 until 2002, the number of allergic reactions to peanuts have increased, the most number of allergies occurring in children.
An allergy to fish is known to be lifelong. Meaning, once the allergy develops, it is highly possible that the allergy will never be outgrown. An allergic reaction to wheat is most common in children. Mort often than not, this type of allergy is outgrown before a child reaches adulthood. Almost all allergic reactions triggered by eggs affects the skin, although sometimes, anaphylaxis also happens. Allergies to tree nuts are among the most fatal allergies known. Foods that are known as tree nuts include walnuts, hazelnuts, cashews, brazil nuts, almonds, coconuts and pistachio nuts. Like fish allergies, an allergic reaction to shellfish is also known to be lifelong. A soy allergy is also among the most common food allergies in children.
Treatment for Food Allergies
Treatment for food allergies can be obtained either by immunotherapy or avoidance. Immunotherapy is also known as desensitization. Usually, people who have been diagnosed with food allergies carry some emergency medications, as recommended by their physicians. With avoidance, a person avoids taking in all forms of the type of food that they is allergic to. Being in contact with that type of food should be avoided as well, in order to prevent triggering of an allergy attack.
Food allergy affects an estimated 6 to 8 percent of children under age 5, and about 3 to 4 percent of adults. While there’s no cure, some children outgrow their food allergy as they get older. It’s easy to confuse a food allergy with a much more common reaction known as food intolerance. While bothersome, food intolerance is a less serious condition that does not involve the immune system.
Most people will have some problem with allergies or allergic reactions at some point in their lives. Allergic reactions can range from mild and annoying to sudden and life-threatening. Most allergic reactions are mild, and home treatment can relieve many of the symptoms. An allergic reaction is more serious when severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) occurs, when allergies cause other problems (such as nosebleeds, ear problems, wheezing, or coughing), or when home treatment doesn’t help.