A simplistic guide to food allergy
Approximately 4 million Americans have been affected due to food allergies with symptoms including an outbreak of hives, asthma, vomiting, difficulty in breathing and even death. An inability to tolerate some foods are many times being confused with food allergies. A totally different set of symptoms is usually seen in food intolerance that includes a bloated feeling, gas or other discomfort of same types.
Difference between Food Allergies and Food Intolerance
A difference between food allergies and food intolerances can easily be made out as an allergic reaction that basically originates in a person’s immune system. Allergic reaction in severe cases can result in suffocation where the person cannot breathe due to heavy swelling of throat or the tongue. Due to food allergies approximately 150 people die in the United States, which is a matter of real concern.
People usually inherit the common food allergies from his family members. Food allergic conditions like eczema, hay fever and asthma are predominantly found in the other family members of the food allergy patients.
Allergies Caused By Certain Foods
Most of the allergic reactions can be caused through various kinds of foods. It is seen that each adults and children face the problems due to different set of foods. In children, majority of food allergy are caused due to milk, eggs, peanuts, soy and wheat. In adults, the allergic foods involved are shellfish (such as shrimp, crab and lobster) peanuts, eggs, other fish, walnuts and sometimes from different nuts grown in trees.
In some people food allergies are so severe, even smelling the food can cause that allergy. But food allergies mostly become serious when the person intakes the allergic food. A person can feel the symptom as the food enters with either tingling of his lips or with an itching in tongue. The problem of gastro-intestine occurs with cramping, vomiting, or diarrhea. When the goes down to the bloodstream, it then moves towards the lungs and then the development of asthma, shortness of breath, eczema or low blood pressure can occur.
Ways to Deal with Food Allergies
People can simply avoid the particular food that will cause allergy to that person. This may sound easy enough but in reality, sometimes it is impossible to avoid such allergic foods. In case of processed food there are so many ingredients that it becomes very difficult to find out the one that causes the problem. Improved food labeling related to food allergies has been enforced through new legislation that has been enacted to protect those with food allergies more effectively.
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