Food Allergy Or Food Intolerance?
You may be hearing more and more about food allergies in recent years. That's no surprise considering an estimated 12 million Americans suffer from these types of allergies, and the number seems to be rising. Because of the prevalence and possible severity of this condition luckily awareness has increased as well.
Some people experience food intolerance instead of a food allergy which can cause confusion; they are different conditions that can cause different reactions.
Many people have an intolerance of certain foods or additives, but this is very different than having a food allergy. An allergy can show within minutes of eating the trigger food, while an intolerance will result in a belated reaction to the food. An allergy is an immune response while an intolerance is more related to improper digestion.
A food allergy is the body's reaction to a substance that it views as possibly harmful. The immune system works to constantly protect our bodies from these things it deems harmful. The allergen is seen by the body as one of these substances so the immune system goes to work trying to protect the body by releasing protective chemicals. One of the chemicals released is histamine, which can affect the nose, eyes, throat, skin or GI tract.
How do you know if you're having an allergic reaction? Some of the signs are a tingly feeling in or around the mouth, swelling of the tongue, throat or lips, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, hives or shortness of breath. In more serious cases the reaction can lead to anaphylactic shock which involves several systems in the body and can even lead to death.
The types of foods that cause allergy reactions can be slightly different in different countries, but there are eight foods that seem to be the leading cause of food allergies in most countries. These big eight include peanuts, tree nuts, dairy, eggs, shellfish, seafood, wheat and soy.
Treatment for food allergies, as with most allergies, is to avoid the allergen. While this may seem pretty basic with a food allergy, it may not be as simple as it sounds. Many processed or packaged foods contain hidden allergens. Because of this problem the U.S. now requires companies to list foods that contain any of the main eight allergens.
This labeling has been very helpful for allergy sufferers but it doesn't guarantee the food is completely free of the allergen. In some cases there can be cross-contamination. This happens when a plant produces various foods, one of which is one of the big eight. Even though the machines are cleaned traces of the allergen can remain and be passed to the food.
Allergy sufferers need to educate themselves and know the specifics when reading labels. Many labels now list what other foods are processed in the facility of the labeled food. But it's also important to know the name of all the ingredients that may contain the allergen. For example if you have an allergy to milk protein you will also need to avoid whey.
People with allergies will need to be familiar with the signs of a possible allergy reaction. They will also need to know how to treat themselves to prevent or reduce the chances of anaphylactic shock. Treatment usually involves the use of an epinephrine injector, often called an EpiPen. - 17273
Some people experience food intolerance instead of a food allergy which can cause confusion; they are different conditions that can cause different reactions.
Many people have an intolerance of certain foods or additives, but this is very different than having a food allergy. An allergy can show within minutes of eating the trigger food, while an intolerance will result in a belated reaction to the food. An allergy is an immune response while an intolerance is more related to improper digestion.
A food allergy is the body's reaction to a substance that it views as possibly harmful. The immune system works to constantly protect our bodies from these things it deems harmful. The allergen is seen by the body as one of these substances so the immune system goes to work trying to protect the body by releasing protective chemicals. One of the chemicals released is histamine, which can affect the nose, eyes, throat, skin or GI tract.
How do you know if you're having an allergic reaction? Some of the signs are a tingly feeling in or around the mouth, swelling of the tongue, throat or lips, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, hives or shortness of breath. In more serious cases the reaction can lead to anaphylactic shock which involves several systems in the body and can even lead to death.
The types of foods that cause allergy reactions can be slightly different in different countries, but there are eight foods that seem to be the leading cause of food allergies in most countries. These big eight include peanuts, tree nuts, dairy, eggs, shellfish, seafood, wheat and soy.
Treatment for food allergies, as with most allergies, is to avoid the allergen. While this may seem pretty basic with a food allergy, it may not be as simple as it sounds. Many processed or packaged foods contain hidden allergens. Because of this problem the U.S. now requires companies to list foods that contain any of the main eight allergens.
This labeling has been very helpful for allergy sufferers but it doesn't guarantee the food is completely free of the allergen. In some cases there can be cross-contamination. This happens when a plant produces various foods, one of which is one of the big eight. Even though the machines are cleaned traces of the allergen can remain and be passed to the food.
Allergy sufferers need to educate themselves and know the specifics when reading labels. Many labels now list what other foods are processed in the facility of the labeled food. But it's also important to know the name of all the ingredients that may contain the allergen. For example if you have an allergy to milk protein you will also need to avoid whey.
People with allergies will need to be familiar with the signs of a possible allergy reaction. They will also need to know how to treat themselves to prevent or reduce the chances of anaphylactic shock. Treatment usually involves the use of an epinephrine injector, often called an EpiPen. - 17273
About the Author:
Learn more about gluten allergies with our new site on gluten allergy symptoms. You'll learn about associated phenomenon such as celiac depression as well as specific troublesome symptoms like constipation from gluten intolerance.
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5:24 AM
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