Food Allergies: What You Need to Know?

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Food allergies, which are becoming more common in our society, affect millions of people around the world. When the immune system identifies a harmless food protein as a danger, an allergic reaction occurs, resulting in a variety of mild to severe symptoms.

In this article, let’s explore the causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment of food allergies.

What Are Food Allergies?

Food allergies are a reaction of the immune system to certain foods. When a person with a food allergy consumes allergenic food, their immune system releases chemicals like histamine, causing a variety of physical symptoms such as digestive problems, rashes or swollen airways. Food allergy can also cause anaphylaxis, a life-threatening reaction that can restrict breathing or cause cardiac arrest, in certain people.

Food allergy is not the same as food intolerance, which means the body struggles to digest food, leading to minor digestive problems.

Types of Food Allergies

The most common cause for allergic reactions is certain proteins in:

· Peanuts

· Tree nuts (wall-nuts, almonds)

· Fish

· Milk

· Eggs

· Wheat

· Soy

· Shellfish (lobster, shrimp and crab).

However, any food can trigger an allergic reaction in susceptible individuals.

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Symptoms of Food Allergies

The symptoms of food allergies can vary from person to person and can be mild to life-threatening. These can affect the skin, digestive system, or the respiratory system. These symptoms may develop from a few minutes to 2 hours after consuming the trigger food. Rarely, they can develop over several hours.

Mild symptoms of food allergy include:

· Itching

· Sneezing

· Runny nose

· Swelling

· Rash

· Itchy and watery eyes

· Stomach cramps

· Nausea & vomiting

· Diarrhea

Severe to life-threatening symptoms (called anaphylaxis) of food allergy include:

· Trouble breathing

· Constriction of the airways (wheezing)

· Throat swelling (angioedema)

· Hives (an itchy and severe rash)

· Shock with a drop in blood pressure

· Dizziness or faintness

These life-threatening reactions need immediate medical attention.

Causes of Food Allergy

When a person has a food allergy, his/her immune system misinterprets a particular food or an ingredient in food as something dangerous. The immune system then stimulates cells to release immunoglobulin E (IgE), an antibody that can neutralize the allergen (the food or substance that causes an allergy).
The next time, when that person consumes even a tiny piece of that food, IgE antibodies detect it and alert the immune system to release histamine and other chemicals into the bloodstream. These chemicals cause allergy-related symptoms.

Diagnosis and Tests

The diagnostic process involves a combination of medical history, physical examination, and specialized tests.

Diagnosis of Food Allergy:

During the diagnosis, the healthcare provider will ask about the:

· Individual’s symptoms

· Frequency of symptoms

· The time that symptoms take to develop

· Quantity of trigger food

· Family history of allergies

Tests to Diagnose Food Allergy:

Healthcare providers can also perform tests to confirm the food allergy. Tests are:

Skin test: In the skin prick test, a small amount of liquid containing food is placed on the skin of the patient’s forearm or back to check for an allergic reaction. The health care provider then pierces the skin with a needle, allowing a small amount of the substance beneath the surface of the skin.

A person who is allergic to a specific substance being tested will develop a raised bump or reaction.

Remember, a positive response to this test alone does not confirm a food allergy.

Blood test: A blood test can detect the allergy-related antibody immunoglobulin E (IgE) to determine the immune system’s response to particular foods.

In this test, the doctor will send the blood sample to a medical laboratory where various foods are tested.

Elimination diet: The healthcare provider will instruct to cut out suspicious foods for one or two weeks. Then reintroduce the food one by one to the patient’s diet. This procedure can connect the symptoms to particular foods, but it is not safe.

Oral food challenge: In this test, the healthcare provider can suggest an oral food challenge to confirm or rule out a suspected food allergy. This procedure involves consuming a small amount of the suspicious food under close medical supervision to check for a reaction.

The healthcare provider often prescribes this test when a patient’s medical history or blood test results are uncertain.

Treatment of Food Allergy

Currently, there is no proven method to cure or prevent food allergies. Various management strategies can help individuals lead a safer and more comfortable life.

Treatment to manage food allergy depends on the severity of symptoms and the overall health of the patient.

It includes: -

Oral Medications:

Antihistamines can cure mild allergic symptoms such as a runny nose, sneezing and itching. However, they do not cure severe allergic reactions.

Injectable Medications:

For severe allergy symptoms, a trip to the emergency room and an emergency epinephrine injection may be necessary. Carrying an epinephrine auto-injector or adrenaline auto-injector (EpiPen, Adrenaclick) is essential for people who are at risk of anaphylaxis. This life-saving device administers a single dose during a severe allergic reaction.

Allergen Immunotherapy:

Allergen immunotherapy, also known as desensitization or allergy shots, may be an option for some individuals. This treatment involves gradually exposing (swallowing or placing under the tongue) the person to small amounts of the allergen under medical supervision to build tolerance.

Prevention and Living with Food Allergy

To prevent allergic reactions, the key is to avoid consuming foods that lead to signs and symptoms.

However, it’s possible to come into contact with a food that can cause an allergic reaction. Therefore, it is frustrating when people have to avoid common foods.

The healthcare providers recommend the following approach to prevent food allergies and bring some relaxation to life:

· Carefully reading food labels

· Being cautious while dining out

· Educating family, friends, and caregivers about the condition

· For minor food allergy symptoms, try over the counter (OTC) antihistamines and ginger tea at home

Outlook / Prognosis

Food allergies are a significant health problem affecting many individuals worldwide. To cope with food allergies, it’s important to recognize symptoms, get a proper diagnosis, and adopt proper management strategies.

To maintain a healthy lifestyle with a food allergy, avoid all foods and ingredients that cause allergic reactions. For mild allergic reactions, take over-the-counter antihistamines. For a more severe reaction or anaphylaxis, seek emergency help.

With food allergies, seeking guidance from a qualified healthcare professional is the first step towards a safer and healthier life.

Take Action

Remember!

Health is our priority. Hopefully, one day a complete cure will be found, but in the meantime, people simply have to manage it as best as they can. I hope that what I’ve written here will help some people to manage and prevent food allergies a little better.

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Thanks for your valuable time!