Symptoms of food allergy. How to determine the ailment?

Food allergy is a reaction of any kind caused by a harmless food or its ingredients. Most often, allergens are proteins, less often carbohydrates and fats. One type of food contains, as a rule, a large number of allergens. With allergies, the body perceives a harmless substance as a dangerous infection and causes the immune system to produce antibodies in huge quantities to protect itself from an imaginary enemy.

Food intolerance is similar to allergy, but with this phenomenon, protective substances are not produced.

Nutritional in adults is not as widespread as it is commonly believed - it affects only 2% of the population. This disease is inherited and manifested in children in the early years of life, most often - with the introduction of protein in the diet of chicken eggs. Most adults suffer from food pseudoallergies, which are actually food intolerances. The signs of food intolerance are similar, and their treatment is also similar.

Symptoms of the disease

Usually, reactions occur, usually within two hours after eating. In rare cases, usually in patients with severe disease, reactions occur in response to the smell of food or touching it. They are easy to track if you know what a food allergy looks like.

Early symptoms that occur immediately after ingestion are swelling of the lips, mouth, or throat, accompanied by itching. Further, as the food moves through the digestive tract, nausea, vomiting, stomach pain and diarrhea may occur.

The state of the patient's skin can also be used to track the manifestation of a food allergy - rash, hives, itching, redness of the skin and eczema.

Occasionally, allergic rhinitis, accompanied by a runny nose and cough, is observed.

The so-called delayed allergic reaction can occur between several hours to several days after taking the allergen. It manifests as eczema, hives, or an asthma attack.

When an allergic reaction involves several organs and body systems, anaphylactic shock occurs. This is the most dangerous reaction to which the food allergy leads - symptoms include swallow edema, ever-increasing itching, hives, sweating, low blood pressure. Breathing is usually difficult. This condition quickly progresses and can lead a patient to death, so it is very important that the victim was provided with urgent qualified assistance.

Drugs for food allergies

For medicines that are recommended for use in cases of food allergy, include:

• Antihistamines. Slow down the manifestation of allergic reactions, blocking histamines produced in the body, simultaneously relieve the symptoms of the disease, such as urticaria, itching, runny nose, gastrointestinal disorders.
• Corticosteroids. Remove the inflammation and symptoms of the disease.
• Bronchodilators - used in people with asthmatic reactions. Relieve breathing by relaxing the airways.
• Epinephrine. It is used in the case of a strong manifestation of a reaction, such as anaphylactic shock. Introduced into the body with the help of injection, which determines its immediate effect, epinephrine relaxes muscles, facilitates breathing and stops the release of histamine.

Thus, one of the methods by which food allergy can be weakened is the treatment of its manifestations.

Another answer to the question of how to get rid of the disease will be: to adhere to a certain diet made by the attending physician. From the diet of the patient all potentially dangerous products should be excluded, however, it is necessary to receive all the necessary vitamins. Therefore, a doctor should recommend a diet.

Development of food allergies in children

A child born to parents who suffer from this disease is at risk. If the food allergy is affected by one parent, the risk of its development in a child is doubled;if both parents - four times. However, the manifestations of allergies in the child, and allergens may not be similar to the manifestations and allergens of his parents.

The most common allergens are wheat, milk, eggs, fish, soy, shellfish and nuts( peanuts).There is also a cross-allergy - it is that people with allergies to one type of food may show reactions to other foods over time. For example, people reacting to peanuts, then begin to experience similar manifestations when using legumes( peas, soybeans, lentils).

An allergy in an infant appears as a reaction to mother's milk if the mother has previously consumed potential allergens. Therefore it is very important that the nursing mother adhere to the diet recommended by her doctor.

Treatment of allergies in children is carried out in the same way as in adults, by diet, the use of antihistamines, corticosteroids and other substances that relieve the symptoms of the disease. Medication should be prescribed by a doctor in doses appropriate to age.