Food allergies are a common problem in kids. Nearly two
million children have food allergies in the United
States. Some food allergies are life threatening, even
if the food is taken in very little quantity. Peanut
tops the list of notorious foods which cause allergies.
Following it are milk, especially cow’s milk, soy, eggs,
wheat, seafood and other nuts.
Food allergies are caused when the immune system is
confused. The job of the immune system is to protect the
body from diseases, bacteria, viruses and germs. The
antibodies produced by the immune system helps to fight
these minute external organisms which makes the person
sick. But if the body is allergic to certain food, the
immune system mistakes the food to a harmful foreign
substance and takes action towards it thinking that it
is dangerous to the body. The body acts adversely, when
it isn’t supposed to do so.
When the immune system detects allergic substance, the
antibodies produce mast cells. They are a kind of immune
system cell which release a chemicals, such as
histamine, in the bloodstream. These chemicals affect
the respiratory system, digestive system, nose, eyes,
throat, and skin. Initial symptoms are runny nose,
tingling sensation in the lips or tongue, and itchy skin
rash like hives. The reaction can be mild to severe and
depends on every individual. The symptoms can appear
right after the food is consumed or after few hours.
Other symptoms are cough, wheezing, nausea, hoarse
voice, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach ache, and throat
tightness.
A sudden and harsh allergic reaction is known as
anaphylaxis. The patient encounters many problems, all
at once which involve blood vessels, the heart,
digestion, breathing, and skin. The blood pressure drops
very steeply, the tongue swells and there is swelling in
the breathing tubes. Patients who have such allergic
reactions should be ready to handle emergencies. They
should always carry some type of medicine which will
help to combat or reduce the adverse affect of the food.
Most of the times, it is very easy to detect the cause
of food allergy. Problems such as hives begin to surface
as soon as the child eats the substance he is allergic
to. At other times, it becomes very difficult to
determine the cause of allergy. In such cases,
everything should be observed under close surveillance.
Food items which are made out of many ingredients should
be thoroughly checked for the allergic cause. Most of
the times, allergies are inherited from other family
members or other kids born with food allergies. Changes
in the surroundings and the body play a major role in
these kinds of cases. Some of the kids aren’t actually
allergic to the food and show only mild reaction. Like
people who are lactose intolerant suffer from diarrhea
and belly pain after consuming milk and diary products.
This is not an indication that the child is allergic to
milk. This reaction happens because their body is
incapable of breaking down the sugars which are found in
diary products and milk.
If the conditions are severe, a doctor should be
consulted immediately. If food allergy is diagnosed, the
doctor refers to an allergy specialist. The doctor asks
questions like eating patterns, past allergic reactions
and the time period between the consumption of food and
the surfacing of the symptoms. The specialist can also
ask about allergy related conditions like asthma or
eczema and whether allergic reactions are hereditary.
Usually skin test and blood test is done to test the
antibodies and the reaction they have on the skin when
it is exposed to the allergic substance.
Kids who are allergic to egg and milk outgrow them as
the age progresses. But allergies which are severe and
are related to items such as peanut, shrimps, and some
kind of fish, last for a lifetime. Other than food,
children can be allergic to certain medicines and flower
pollen. The best way to avoid allergies is to avoid the
cause of it. No specific medicine has been developed for
the cure of allergies.
