Food allergies
Tuesday 24 February 2009
Food allergies are becoming more common. Read all about how to prevent them or how to cope if you do get them.
Allergy alert
A food allergy is an immune system response to food that the body mistakes as harmful. A chemical called ‘histamines’ is then released in the body which triggers allergic reactions including shortness of breath, itchy or flushed skin, eczema or sore eyes.
A severe reaction can develop in to anaphylaxis. This causes lung airways to become swollen making breathing very difficult.
Food allergies and food intolerance aren’t the same thing. While allergergies affect the immune system when even a tiny amount is consumed, intolerance only causes unpleasant discomfort, usually when larger quantities of food have been eaten – read about intolerance here.
Nuts
Around one in 100 people suffer from a nut allergy in the UK – the most common reactions are caused by peanuts or tree nuts such as almonds, cashews and pecans. Sometimes reactions can be triggered just by touching or being near someone who has eaten them.
Wheat
People who are allergic to wheat usually react to other foods too. Common symptoms include bloating, abdominal pain, diarrhea and a lot of wind! Some people also have an allergy to gluten which is found in wheat, as well as other products such as rye and oats.
Wheat allergy is often associated with coeliac disease - but they are very different. Coeliac sufferers who eat too much gluten can cause damage to their small intestine and other parts of their body too. The disease shares many of the same symptoms as wheat allergy, as well as others including weight and hair loss, plus some emotional symptoms such as depression.
Dairy
This refers to any reaction caused by cow’s milk. It is quite similar to goat and sheep milk, so these can cause reactions too. Dairy can be found in other products including cheese, butter and yogurt, and processed foods such as chocolate, pastries and soups - so it’s important to always know what is in food to avoid a reaction.
Dairy is known to trigger Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) which can cause cramping, bloating and a change to bowel habits - but this doesn't necessarily mean that a person is allergic to dairy.
Being allergic to dairy isn’t the same as being lactose intolerance (LI). LI has nothing to do with the immune system and is only caused by a body’s inability to digest lactose sugar, a main component of milk.
Eggs
This is common in children and they often grow out of it. Though it doesn’t sound so bad, an allergy to egg can affect someone’s life greatly as it’s found in lots of different food.
Most people are only allergic to egg whites, but some can’t eat yolk either.
Fish
Unlike common belief, cooking seafood does not destroy the allergen components found in it, and often people are allergic to the cooked version rather than the raw. Many fish share the same components, so people who are allergic to cod may react to mackerel, haddock and hake.
Also, someone with a fish allergy can react to fish-oil supplements – this can be found in omega-3 versions.
Treatment
There are different types of treatment to allergies. Some people outgrow them but this is unlikely for allergies to nuts and fish.
Avoiding the food that causes a reaction is the best treatment, but this can be difficult when eating at a restaurant or a friends house, and it can also lead to lack of nutrients. To avoid this, advice from a dietician is necessary.
For people with mild reactions, doctors often prescribe anti-histamines. However for more serious reactions such as anaphylaxis, doctors will be able to prescribe more effective treatment.
It’s important to wear a medical identification bracelet which will give details of the allergy as well as a telephone number to call in emergencies.
Keep a diary
Listing foods eaten throughout the day including full meals, snacks and drinks, as well any reactions can help with diagnosing and treating.
A GP will be go through the diary to look for a pattern of reactions. Visiting a GP without it often leads to incorrect diagnosis, meaning that reactions will keep on occurring.
