Food Allergies: Its Causes and Cure

Food allergy is a very common condition that people suffer from, and it is estimated that nearly one in every fifty people suffer from some type of food allergy. Food allergies are adverse reaction of the immune system to a certain type of food. The food protein that causes this allergy is known as the food allergen. Food allergy is not the same as food intolerance or pharmacological reactions. Food intolerance involves reactions to one or multiple organs or systems in the body but is not related to the immune system while pharmacological allergies are related to medicine reactions.

Symptoms and causes

Food allergies mostly attack three parts of the body, namely skin, respiratory system and digestive system. The symptoms are visible within a couple of hours of consuming the food and can start with blotchy and red skin rashes. These skin rashes are also very itchy and especially occur in areas like the face, eyelids, lips or tongue. Sometimes the throat and larynx and trachea are also severely swollen and itchy and cause difficulty in breathing. These symptoms occur at a very short duration and are also accompanied by vomiting and diarrhea. Allergies and its reactions and symptoms become more pronounced with contact with the allergen more often and the first step is to diagnose the allergen which is causing the reactions. Once the allergen enters the body, the immune system overreacts to this object and histamines are released in the body to fight it, thus giving rise to allergic symptoms.

Prevention and cure

Once the allergen for the allergic person has been identified, it becomes easier to treat them. The easiest way to avoid a food allergy is to stay away from the allergy causing food .The most common listed items on the food allergen list for adults are peanuts, peanut butter, shellfish, nuts, fish, and eggs while milk, eggs and peanuts are known to cause allergies in children. The other common allergens include seafood, cow’s milk, citrus fruits, soya and strawberries. It is also important to read the food details printed on packed foods, to ensure that none of these allergens are present in the food. Even very small amounts of the allergen may cause serious reactions.

Sometimes medical help will be required to diagnose the allergen and you may have to go through an allergy test to determine the primary cause for the allergy. It is also recommended that people who suffer from allergies should go in for organic food and a fruit diet and avoid dairy products or animal proteins which cause allergies.