Food allergies: drugs, symptoms, causes, etc. • hello healthy

Definition

What is a food allergy?

A food allergy is an allergic reaction that occurs after consuming certain foods. This occurs due to an overreaction of the immune system to substances in food that are actually harmless.

The reaction then triggers a number of symptoms that vary in the body. The reactions that appear vary, from mild to severe, such as itching and swelling of the lips, to severe symptoms known as anaphylactic shock. Anaphylactic shock can be life threatening if the sufferer is late in getting proper medical treatment.

Usually food allergies are seen as children, but the symptoms can also appear at any time even as adults. There are even some people who can develop allergies to foods that have been consumed for years.

Based on the cause, food allergic reactions are divided into two, namely those through immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibodies and those not through IgE intermediaries or non-IgE allergies. The difference is that the symptoms that arise from a non-IgE allergy appear more slowly so that it will be more difficult to detect. However, non-IgE does not cause severe reactions such as anaphylactic shock.

How common is this condition?

This type of allergy is quite common and can be experienced by anyone. Even so, this condition tends to be more often experienced by children. In fact, according to Food Allergy Research and Education, there are about one in 13 children who have allergies to one or more certain types of food.

Children generally have allergies to milk, soybeans, wheat, and eggs. Meanwhile, adults more often experience allergies from seafood, such as fish and shellfish or certain types of nuts such as almonds, cashews, and pecans.

Cause

What causes food allergies?

The cause of food allergies is your immune system overreacting to substances in food, generally protein. These allergens are called allergens.

If you have allergies, your immune system will overreact to the allergen by stimulating the body's cells to release antibodies. These antibodies are known as immunoglobulin E (IgE). Immunoglobulin E will later move towards cells that release chemicals such as histamine.

Histamine and other chemicals also flow in the blood. These substances eventually cause allergy signs and symptoms, such as itching, runny nose, swelling, diarrhea, and even anaphylactic shock.

In non-IgE cases, the mechanism of the allergic reaction is not known with certainty. Broadly speaking, non-IgE food allergies are caused by different cells in the immune system.

However, the substances that cause allergies must be in a certain amount before they can cause an allergic reaction. Allergens can enter gradually and repeatedly without causing a reaction. When the substance has crossed the limit, the body will react. That is why, in some people allergic reactions only appear as adults.

All substances from food can cause allergic reactions, depending on the body's sensitivity to a certain substance. However, usually the most frequent trigger foods are eggs, milk, seafood, and nuts.

Risk factors

What increases my risk of a food allergy?

Indeed, anyone can get allergies, but there are several factors that increase your risk of experiencing it. These factors include:

• Family history. If someone in your family has a food allergy, there is a higher risk of experiencing the same thing.
• Have other allergies. If you already have an allergy to one food, you are at high risk of reacting negatively to other foods. Likewise, if you have other types of allergic reactions, such as a dust allergy, your risk increases.
• Age. Food allergies generally occur in children, especially young children and babies. Fortunately, when growing up, the digestive system becomes more mature so that it is able to minimize digesting food containing allergens. However, if the allergies tend to be severe, this can carry over into adulthood.
• Asthma. Asthma and food allergies generally occur together. When this happens, the symptoms of both tend to be more severe.

Signs & symptoms

What are the signs and symptoms of a food allergy?

Food allergy symptoms usually occur within a few minutes to several hours after you are exposed to allergens (allergens) from food that is consumed.

Symptoms can vary from person to person, you may also experience different reactions at other times. But in general, what is experienced includes the following.

• A tingling or itching sensation in the mouth.
• Red spots, itching, or eczema.
• Swelling of the lips, face, tongue, throat, or other parts of the body.
• Nasal congestion.
• Stomach pain, diarrhea, nausea, or vomiting.
• Dizziness, feel like fainting, or pass out.

Sometimes allergy symptoms that appear may not occur immediately, it can take a while for the reaction to appear after eating.

When should I see a doctor?

You should see a doctor immediately if you experience allergy symptoms after eating certain dishes. If possible, visit your doctor while the allergic reaction persists. Quicker treatment can help your doctor diagnose the problem.

For some people, allergies can stimulate a severe reaction called anaphylaxis. Anaphylaxis will affect your breathing as well as your heart rate. Symptoms of anaphylaxis include:

• Hard to breathe.
• Swollen throat or feel a lump in the throat that makes it difficult for you to breathe.
• Experience in shock which is a marked drop in blood pressure.
• Heart palpitations.
• Dizziness, until fainting or loss of consciousness.

Anaphylactic shock can be life threatening if not treated promptly. In addition, there are several other factors that can also increase your risk of having an anaphylactic reaction, including:

• have a history of asthma,
• are teenagers or younger, as well
• being late using epinephrine to treat allergy symptoms.

Food allergies in children

Recognizing food allergies in children

As already mentioned, food allergies are more prone to attack children than adults. Most likely this happens because children have not consumed too many types of food, so the body is not used to digesting certain substances in them.

Food allergies can appear when you are a baby, usually symptoms begin to appear after a few months. There are also some who just experience an allergic reaction in early childhood. Most of them have allergic offspring from their families. In addition, babies who have had eczema are usually at risk of developing food allergies.

Fortunately, food allergies that occur as a child generally disappear as the child grows. It is estimated that about 80-90 percent of cases of egg, milk and soy allergies do not appear again after the child is 5 years old.

The symptoms of a food allergy in children are actually similar to the symptoms in adults. Allergic reactions can affect the skin, digestion, and breathing.

On the skin, an allergic reaction is indicated by red spots, skin rash, or swelling around the face, lips, and tongue. On respiratory reactions can include shortness of breath, runny nose, nasal congestion, or wheezing. Meanwhile, digestion can be characterized by nausea and vomiting or diarrhea.

The reactions that appear in each child can be different, your child doesn't always show the same reaction when experiencing allergies.

Therefore, you must really pay attention to what the signs are that the child looks and feels as well as remembering what foods have been consumed, especially if your child is at high risk for having allergies.

Diagnosis

How to diagnose this condition?

There is no single test that can directly diagnose a food allergy you may be experiencing. Generally, doctors will consider a number of factors and several food allergy tests before making a diagnosis. The factors and food allergy tests that a doctor may perform include the following.

• Ask about your symptoms. Previously, the doctor will ask what food and how much has been consumed. Then, the doctor asks to know what allergy symptoms you are experiencing, the pattern of the symptoms, and when they appear. These pieces of information will make it easier for your doctor to make a diagnosis.
  
• Your family history of allergies. The doctor will also ask if your family or relatives have had cases of the same or different types of allergies. The reason is, heredity could be one of the factors for you to have any allergies.
• Physical examination. A careful examination can often identify or exclude other medical problems.

Several tests to diagnose food allergies

After doing a physical exam, you will have to take various tests to really confirm any allergies you have. Here are some tests that you might undergo.

1. Skin test

A skin prick test can determine which foods trigger your allergy symptoms. In this test, the doctor will use a small amount of food extract that is suspected of being an allergen.

The allergen extract will be placed on the skin of your forearm or back. The doctor or other health professional will then prick your skin with a needle to let a small amount of the allergen get under the surface of your skin. If you are allergic to a certain substance that is being tested, you will experience a bump or an escalated reaction.

Keep in mind, a positive reaction to this test alone is not enough to confirm a food allergy. The doctor will suggest several additional tests.

2. Blood test

Blood tests can also be done to measure your immune system's response to certain foods. The doctor will measure the antibodies that are immunoglobulin E (IgE) which may be released when the blood sample is given an allergen extract.

For this test, a blood sample taken at your doctor's office is sent to a medical laboratory, where different foods can be tested.

3. Elimination diet

To check if you are really allergic to a particular food, you may be asked to go on an elimination diet. On this diet, you will eliminate one or several types of foods that are believed to cause reactions from your diet.

For example, in the first phase you are not allowed to eat foods containing dairy products and eggs for several weeks. After passing the first phase, you can slowly start eating one type of food that was previously avoided. The doctor will also ask again about the allergy symptoms you feel.

If there is no allergic reaction, you can eat it again. However, if an allergic reaction appears, the doctor can suspect that it is true that you do have a suspected food allergy. As a result, you must eliminate these types of food from your daily diet.

Since the elimination diet is very strict with many restrictions, it should only be done under a doctor's supervision.

4. Eat these foods directly

This test should be done in a doctor's office. In this allergy test, you will be given a small amount of food later. Over time the amount of food given will increase.

If you have no reaction during this test, you may be able to keep eating it for the rest. However, if an immediate allergic reaction occurs even though the food is only consumed a little, you should avoid it.

Medicines & Medicines

The information provided is not a substitute for medical advice. ALWAYS consult your doctor.

How to treat food allergies?

This condition generally does not go away and will continue to exist. So, the way you can do so you don't experience an allergic reaction because of food is to avoid foods that contain allergens.

If you accidentally eat it, you can relieve the symptoms of a food allergy that appear in the following ways:

For a mild allergic reactionOTC food allergy medications or antihistamines. These medications can be taken after the food causing the allergic reaction is identified. Antihistamines will help relieve symptoms such as hives or the appearance of red spots. Even so, antihistamines cannot treat severe allergic reactions.

In addition, you can also drink water to relieve symptoms. Especially if you experience a stuffy nose as an allergic reaction. Drinking water can help loosen the mucus in the nasal passages and relieve pain.

For severe allergic reactions, You should always carry the automatic epinephrine injection (EpiPen, Twinjet, Auvi-Q) with you. This device is a combination of a spray and a hidden needle that injects a single dose of the drug when pressed into your thigh. Epinephrine can act quickly to improve breathing and relieve itching.

Epinephrine injections are used immediately if you have severe allergic symptoms such as shortness of breath, coughing - a weak pulse, or a combination of symptoms such as hives plus stomach upset.

Epinephrine can be used in repeated doses if necessary. In an emergency or if you need more epinephrine, you should immediately seek medical help and get treatment in the emergency room.

Home remedies

What are some lifestyle changes or home remedies for treating food allergies?

So that allergic reactions do not always come, what you have to do, of course, is to control the various triggers. The following lifestyle and home remedies can help you prevent food allergies.

• Avoiding problematic foods (leftovers or expired food).
• Read food content labels carefully before buying or preparing food.
• Learn how to use anti-allergy injections and teach the people around you if you suddenly suffer from this type of allergy. Always carry allergy medicine with you.
• Wear a medical bracelet or necklace to let people know that you have a food or other type of allergy.
• Tell your family, caregivers, and teachers if your child has food allergies.
• Wash utensils carefully before preparing baby food. This can help prevent allergens.

Apart from the things above, you should also pay more attention to the nutritional intake given to children if your little one has allergies. For example, in children who are allergic to milk, you should provide a substitute that can meet calcium needs such as one cup of green vegetables which is equivalent to 4 ounces of milk.

If your child is allergic to eggs, you can provide similar protein sources such as milk, meat, poultry, fish and nuts. Basically, there are many other food alternatives that have a nutritional composition similar to allergen foods. However, you also have to make sure that the child does not have allergies to food substitutes.

If you are not sure, you should consult this with your doctor or nutritionist who will help you prepare your daily diet. For any other questions you would like to ask, please contact your doctor for the best solution.