Dec. 16, 2021 | The holidays are all about preparing meals and snacks for family and friends, and also a good time to pay attention to the problems that can be caused by food allergies. Milk, eggs, peanuts, shellfish and wheat are all major food allergens, the causes of allergic reactions that can range from a tingling sensation in the mouth to death. Such symptoms typically appear within minutes after the person has eaten the food to which they are allergic. The reactions are a response by the body’s immune system, caused when the body mistakes a food protein as harmful and creates a defense system to fight it. This defense system includes antibodies and powerful chemicals such as histamine that can cause symptoms in the respiratory system, gastrointestinal tract, skin or cardiovascular system. If these chemicals are released in the ears, nose and throat, it may cause itching, tingling or trouble swallowing. Released in the skin, it may cause hives or a rash.

Dec. 16, 2021 | There is no treatment for a food allergy other than avoiding the food in question, but this isn’t always as simple as it sounds. If you are allergic to eggs, for instance, you have to avoid everything containing eggs. The Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act, which went into effect in 2006, requires food manufacturers within the United States to clearly label foods if they contain allergens such as milk, egg, peanuts, soy or fish. Besides carefully checking the labels of all commercially prepared foods, you should also speak to your doctor about vaccines made with egg products, which include vaccines for flu and yellow fever. If you are highly allergic and have had an anaphylactic reaction in the past, avoiding the food in question can be a matter of life or death. Constant vigilance is required because the smallest amount of the allergen can set off a reaction. Just 1/44,000th of a kernel can trigger a reaction in someone highly allergic to peanuts.

Dec. 16, 2021 | Individuals with a peanut allergy often worry about having a reaction on board a commercial flight. A published study showed that severe, or anaphylactic, reactions caused by peanuts occurred on such flights from the ingestion of peanut-containing food. Other reactions from exposure via skin contact or inhalation were less severe. Many peanut-allergic individuals have safely flown without incident but it’s important to exercise caution when flying and to have emergency medication available. Airlines are required to have epinephrine as part of their emergency medical kits, but flight attendants may not be trained to administer the medicine to a passenger. Generally, the flight crew will ask if there is a medical professional on board the flight who would be willing to respond to a passenger’s needs. If you are allergic to peanuts, it’s a good idea to talk with a physician before you fly and assess the risks involved in your specific case.

Dec. 16, 2021 | If you think you are allergic to a certain food, the best thing you can do is consult with a physician, who will make a diagnosis and recommend the best course of action. There are three methods to determine whether a person has a food allergy. A skin test involves placing liquid extracts of different foods on a person’s forearm or back and pricking the skin a tiny bit so the food being tested enters the body. A skin test may require refraining from taking anti-allergy medications three to seven days before the skin test because they can interfere with the results. The elimination diet method involves temporarily removing suspicious foods from your diet. Then, under the direction of your doctor, foods are slowly reintroduced one at a time. With a blood test, a sample of blood is drawn and sent to a lab where it is mixed with some of the suspected allergen and checked for antibodies. If antibodies to the food are found, it’s safe to say that you have an allergy.

Dec. 16, 2021 | There are a number of common beliefs about food allergies that have no basis in science. For example, the notion that food allergies will last a lifetime or are always outgrown is incorrect. Children usually “outgrow” allergies to milk, eggs, soybean products and wheat. However, people rarely outgrow allergies to peanuts, tree nuts, fish and shellfish. And it is possible to develop a food allergy as an adult. A food allergy can occur at any time in a person’s life, although it’s not clear why or how this happens. As much attention is paid to them, food allergies are less common than most people think. Although 25 percent of people may think they’re allergic to certain foods, research studies have shown that about only eight percent of children and four percent of adults have a food allergy. And despite what many believe, people with food allergies are not allergic to many foods. In fact, most people with food allergies are allergic to fewer than four foods in all.