Thursday

Food Allergies

By Charlie Monaghan Carter

Food allergies are quite common in children and in some cases adults too. An allergy is a negative reaction to any particular substance and food allergy refers to the adverse response that the body might have to a particular food. The most common food allergies in children are that of milk, peanuts and eggs and in adults it is fish, eggs, peanuts, shellfish and fish.

The reaction to food allergies might come in the form of nausea, vomiting, skin rashes, wheezing or scratchy throat and in very worst situations the food allergies might result in death where nothing else can be done.

The very common food allergies are allergy to dairy products, eggs, peanuts, tree nut, seafood, shellfish, wheat and soy. As these are the most commonly occurring food allergies they are referred to as the big eight. The allergens also vary from one country to another because of the differing food habitats.

The most common test that is done on people to see if they have an allergy to a particular type of food that they have eaten is a skin-prick test. Another common test that allergists use to determine this is a full blood test.

Epinephrine is the most commonly used medicine to combat serious allergic reactions and it is best given through an auto-injector to overcome the systemic reaction. As far as treatment and permanent cure to food allergies are concerned, there is no long term solution. The only way to avoid having the bad reaction is to restrict your diet and avoid the food itself. People already suffering with some other diseases are found to be more prone to picking up these food allergies. They have to be identified at the right time in order to avoid further complications. - 26706

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