Food Allergies

Imagine what it would be like if eating a peanut butter sandwich or shrimp left you vomiting or gasping for breath. How about drinking a tall glass of milk and becoming overcome with itchy hives on your body? For some people with food allergies, this is a reality. A food allergy is an abnormal response to food triggered by the immune system. It is not the bloating or gas that some people get from certain foods; . Currently, about 1.5 percent of adults and up to 6 percent of children younger than 3 years in the United Sates (about 14 million people) have a true food allergy. .Those more likely to develop food allergies come from families in which allergies such as hay fever, asthma, or eczema are common.

It is critical for people who have food allergies to identify them and to avoid foods that cause allergic reactions. Some foods can cause severe illness. .It can severely lower blood pressure and cause suffocation by the swelling of the tongue or throat.An estimated 150 Americans die each year from severe allergic reactions to food.

The timing and location of an allergic reaction to food is affected by digestion. An allergic person may first experience a severe itching of the tongue, or “tingling lips.” Vomiting, cramps or diarrhea may follow. , there may be a drop in blood pressure, hives, or eczema.The onset of these symptoms may vary from a few minutes to an hour or two after the food is eaten.

. The most common foods to cause allergies in adults are shrimp, lobster, crab, and other shellfish; peanuts; walnuts and other tree nuts; fish; and eggs. In children, eggs, milk, peanuts, soy and wheat are the main culprits. Children typically outgrow their allergies to milk, egg, soy and wheat. .Adults usually do not lose their allergies. The best way to treat food allergies is to avoid the foods that trigger reactions.Those with severe food allergies are advised to wear medical alert bracelets or necklaces.