Mar 10


About 8% of children and 2% of adults suffer from true food allergies. If the offender is eaten foods are most allergic reactions occur within minutes. Skin symptoms (itching, urticaria, angioedema) are the most common and occur in most food reactions. Other symptoms may include nasal (sneezing, runny nose, itchy nose and eyes), gastrointestinal (nausea, vomiting, cramps, diarrhea), lung (shortness of breath, wheezing, coughing, chest tightness) and vascular (hypotension, light headedness, palpitations ) symptoms. If severe, this reaction as anaphylaxis and can be life threatening. Allergy or intolerance? Most allergic reactions to food are not likely in nature, but intolerance. This means that there is no existing allergic antibodies to the food in the person. Intolerance classified as toxic and non-toxic. Toxic reactions would be expected to occur in most patients, if enough of the food was eaten, are examples of alcohol, caffeine, or in cases of food poisoning. Non-toxic food intolerance occurs only in certain people, such as lactose intolerance, the lack of lactase, the enzyme that is due to the sugar in milk and dairy products breaks. Patients with lactose intolerance experience bloating, cramps and diarrhea within minutes to hours after eating lactose-containing foods, but does not enter other symptoms of food allergies. Non-allergic immune responses A less common form of non-allergic reactions to food affects the immune system, but there are no allergic antibodies are present. This group includes sprue and FPIES (food protein-induced enteropathy syndrome). FPIES usually occurs in infants and young children who presented with gastrointestinal symptoms (vomiting, diarrhea, blood in stool and weight loss) as a sign. Milk, soy and corn are the most common triggers in FPIES. Children usually FPIES outgrown 2 to 3 years. Common Childhood Food Allergies Milk, soy, wheat, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, fish and seafood compromise is more than 90 percent of food allergies in children. Allergy to milk and eggs are outgrown by far the most common, and are usually after the age of 5 years. Peanut are walnut, fish and shellfish allergies usually the serious and potentially life-threatening, often persist into adulthood. Cross-reactivity and cross-contamination Cross-reactivity refers to a person who has allergies similar foods within a food group. For example, all the shells are closely linked, if a person is allergic to shellfish, one, there is a strong possibility that the person allergic to other shellfish. The same applies to tree nuts such as almonds, cashews and walnuts. Cross-contamination refers to a food other, independent contaminate food leads to a “hidden allergies”. For example, peanuts and nuts are not related to food. Peanuts are legumes, and related to the bean family, while real nuts are nuts. There is no cross-reactivity between the two, but both can be found in candy shops and a can of mixed nuts, for example. Diagnosis of Food Allergies The diagnosis is made by an appropriate history of a reaction to a particular food, together with a positive test for allergic antibodies to these foods. Test for allergic antibodies is usually performed with skin test, although done with a blood test as well be. The blood test called a RAST testing is not quite as good of a test skin test, but may help in predicting when a person has a food allergy has been overcome. This is especially true because, in many cases the skin test is still in children who have outgrown the food allergy are actually positive. If the diagnosis of food allergy is called into question, despite testing, may adopt a allergist to perform an oral food challenge for the patient. This includes having people eat more quantities of food for many hours under medical supervision. Then there is the potential for life-threatening anaphylactic reactions, this procedure should be experienced only by a physician in the diagnosis and treatment of allergic diseases. An oral food challenge is the only way to remove to a diagnosis of food allergy in a patient. Managing Food Allergies Handle the response: If a response is present on the food should be the person to seek immediate emergency medical care. Most patients with food allergies should determine their injectable form of epinephrine, or adrenaline wear (such as an Epi-pen with them at all times. These drugs can be prescribed by a doctor and the patient should know how this device to use before you have an allergic reaction. Avoid foods: This is the most important way to prevent future reactions to the perpetrator food, but can be difficult in cases of common foods such as milk, egg, soy, wheat and peanuts. Organizations such as the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network to offer assistance and support to patients and parents of children with food allergies. Allergy doctors also provide additional information and advice on prevention. Read food labels: an allergic Since accidental contact with the food is customary to read labels on foods as well as questions about the ingredients in the restaurants is important and commendable. Be prepared: In patients with allergies should always be prepared to recognize and deal with their reaction, they should occur. Remember that claims that the allergic foods are often randomly prepared to treat the reaction with epinephrine is of utmost importance. Emergency medical care should always be taken to occur when an allergic reaction to food, whether epinephrine is used. Communicating with others: The communication with family members, friends and school staff about the medical condition of the patient and the knowledge of how to administer epinephrine is also important. It is also recommended that the patient wear a medical alert bracelet (such as a Medic-Alert bracelet) with a discussion of food allergies and the use of injectable epinephrine, in which case the patient is unable to to communicate during a response.



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