Types Of Allergies Allergies happen when the body has an abnormal reaction of its immune system to what is normally a harmless substance. There are about one in four of all Americans that suffer from some type of allergies. Food allergies make up only a small part of that number. (About 2% of adults and 8% of children.)
Reaction Time Most reactions are fast, usually within a few minutes of the food entering the body and can occur up to two hours later. In some cases the reaction does not occur for up to forty-eight hours later. These are the ones that are difficult to identify.
Allergies Actually Develop In Stages.
When a person first encounters the substance that it is allergic to there is most often not a reaction. The body wards to fight this off. When the body is exposed again, symptoms will be produced. The more the body is exposed to the allergen, the more likely a reaction will occur. These can be a simple as sneezing, watery eyes, and runny nose. Some can be a serious as sudden death.
The Elimination Diet Still another test that may be used is the supervised elimination diet. The patient is taken of all foods except those know not to cause reaction. After seven to ten days the person should be symptom free. The doctor then gives small amounts of food or food extracts to see if there is any allergic response.
Peanut Allergy Allergies most common symptoms are nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, headaches, rashes, shortness of breath, and some times swelling. The good thing is that it a food allergy generally produces the same symptoms each time. The exception to this would be a peanut allergy, which can become more severe each time the person is exposed. It is possible that some people can handle small amounts of the foods, which they are allergic to without much difficulty. While others are so sensitive that they react to even the smallest traces.
Allergy Testing
Allergens are usely easy to identify because the reaction is immediate. In other cases you may be asked to keep a diary of what you ate and the times. After a while a pattern will begin to show what the problem foods are. In some cases allergy testing may need to be done. The most common are the skin test where food allergens are placed on the skin and swelling or itching will occur if you have a reaction. In other cases the doctor may order a (RAST) radioallergosorbent blood study. This test allows for a few drops of a person’s blood to be mixed with the allergens and then analyzed for signs of a reaction.
Need More Time
Once the allergens have been identified and eliminated from the diet the problem should be solved. This can sometimes be more difficult that it sounds. Some of the more common food allergens are hard to avoid. This leads to much label reading and less time in the fast food lines.
Allergens That Are Common Milk and milk products: Constipation, diarrhea, and vomiting are the most common. In rare instances hives can occur. These are all very common food additives and are hidden in most processed foods.
Allergy Attacks Egg: Rashes, hives, and swelling is the most common. Asthma attacks and eczema in people who are prone to those. Fish: Rashes, hives, and red itchy eyes. Can trigger asthma attach or runny nose. Wheat: Diarrhea and stomach upset. Migraine. Peanuts: Stomach upset and breathing problems. Possible anaphylaxis. Fruits: Facial rash or hives, itching, or a tingling sensation in the mouth. Chocolate: Rashes or hives.
Watch Out For Intolerances
If you have or if your doctor thinks you have a possibility of a severe reaction to foods--such as asthma attaches severe hives, or anaphylactic reactions---you should always wear a medical alert band. One of the most common but neglected allergies that plague us are
food allergies. Identifying food allergies, unless they have dramatic immediate consequences, can be difficult, but not impossible. Many times they are labeled as intolerances rather than allergies, but do not be confused if you cannot tolerate a specific food, then you have an allergy to that food.
Common Symptoms
Allergies are also familiar with milk intolerance, the inability to digest milk; we can even purchase milk that has bacteria in it that make it easier to digest. Many other foods can affect us in the same way. Some of the more common symptoms include headaches, gas, raised blood pressure, irritability, and general malaise. How do you know if something you are eating for health is causing you to become ill? If you are willing to spend some time you too can discover if any foods you eat are contributing to your poor health.
Need Patience
You will need a few inexpensive pieces of equipment, and patience to track down your food allergies. A pen or pencil, and two small note pads are all you will need initially. For the first month, you will keep track of everything that you eat and drink, if you smoke, every cigarette.
Keeping A Record You will also keep track of your general health, any feeling of illness no matter how insignificant, any fever, any day when you seem more tired than usual, any night when you can't sleep, or are bothered by insomnia, or nightmares. Each entry should have a date and time. For example: October 21 7am-blueberry bagel with cream cheese, coffee, cream, sugar.
Detailed Entries Your entries for discomforts should be just as detailed, with a date, time and details. Make sure you list the onset as well as a decrease in symptoms as accurately as possible. If you take an aspirin or other medication for symptom relief be sure to log this in your food notepad.