Is food allergies dangerous to my health?
It is difficult to understand the fact that food allergies can cause serious damage. How can a particular food cause the death of a healthy adult?
Food is one of the basic things that affect our health. Everything that enters our body affects our health in one way or another, as digestion involves the absorption of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates, which are externally sourced from animals, plants, or fungi.
The immune system usually protects the body from foreign objects, except for food, in which the immune system deals differently.
Sometimes, however, people with allergies to some types of food are compromised by the immune system and as a result, physical reactions to varying degrees of severity towards some of the foods that we eat – these are actually food allergies.
Although we hear a lot of reports in the media about people who have experienced serious food allergies, they are not very common. Their prevalence in children ranges from 3% to 5%, and is higher in children with Atopic Dermatitis. In adults, the prevalence of food allergies ranges from 1% to 2%.
How dangerous can food allergies be on my child?
The allergic reaction can infect the whole body, which requires the child to go to the hospital as quickly as possible to give him the necessary allergies medications.
Even aggravated allergic reaction can lead to death according to the amount of food the child has eaten and caused the allergy.
Note that the problem does not always lie in the child eating the food itself, but allergies can be triggered by food containing ingredients that cause allergies. Hence the importance of attention to what is included in the foods that the child can be allergic to.
How are food allergies diagnosed?
Food allergies are based on immediate skin tests or on blood tests to check for IgE in foods which is suspected to be the main cause of this type of allergies, as well as the ideal choice for the test, a food challenge test, in which the patient is given a certain type of food Suspected of being responsible for the allergic reaction, under medical supervision.
Some foods are known to be allergenic, most commonly: milk, eggs, seafood, walnuts, wheat and chocolate. In addition to the foods mentioned there are more types of food that may cause allergies in some people.
Are certain foods that can cause allergy more than others?
The list of foods that may cause an allergy is endless and endless… But there are seven foods that are the most common: Milk (milk), eggs, wheat, soy, nuts, fish, and peanuts. 90% of allergies are attributable to one of this list.
Read Also,What Types Of Foods allergens Can Trigger Allergies ?
What are the symptoms of food allergies?
If you experience any of the following symptoms, in less than two hours after eating a particular type of food, this may be an indication that you are allergic to this food:
Allergy symptoms may appear after a few minutes eating the food that is cause it, and increase after two hours of eating.
1. Burning/swelling in the mouth, tongue, or lips.
2. Diarrhea or vomiting.
3. Diffuse skin rash that causes itching.
4. Chronic exacerbation of eczema.
5. Runny nose, cough, or shortness of breath (rare).
Your condition can be much worse in some cases, including low blood pressure, dizziness, fainting, and a heart attack, and this allergic shock may develop rapidly and can be a risk to life.
How is food allergy treated?
The only way to overcome the allergy of food is to avoid it and stop eating it completely. Children and people with these allergies are very vulnerable to symptoms of allergies, even if they are exposed to the remnant of this food only.
To avoid this type of food and stop eating it may be a challenge, especially when it comes to foods that may contain many ingredients, such as peanuts, for example. Therefore, in such cases, the patient needs basic guidance on how to avoid the intended food and how to check its presence or its remnant in different foods.
Parents of children with food allergies should be instructed on how to behave when their child is exposed to this type of food, and what immediate treatment methods should be used when allergic symptoms appear.
In cases of acute food allergies, the body’s reaction may be so severe that it may pose a serious risk to the patient’s life. Therefore, in such cases, injections containing adrenaline should be provided.
When a patient is a young child, special precautions should be taken, including instructing kindergarten teachers, preschoolers, and medical staff, on all aspects of prevention and how to treat a child who is allergic to any type of food.