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Food
Allergies
What is a food allergy? Food
allergies occur when the immune system mistakenly attacks a food protein.
Ingestion of the offending food may trigger the sudden release of chemicals,
including histamine, resulting in symptoms of an allergic reaction. A food
allergy is potentially life-threatening. Scientists estimate that
approximately 12 million Americans suffer from food allergies, or one in 25.
One in 17 children age 3 and under has a food allergy. What are the common
symptoms of a reaction? The symptoms may be mild (rashes, hives, itching,
swelling, etc.) or severe (trouble breathing, wheezing, loss of consciousness,
etc.). Symptoms may include one or more of the following: a tingling
sensation in the mouth, swelling of the tongue and the throat, difficulty
breathing, hives, vomiting, abdominal cramps, diarrhea, drop in blood
pressure, loss of consciousness, and even death. Symptoms typically appear
within minutes to two hours after the person has eaten the food to which he
or she is allergic. What is the best treatment for food allergy? Strict
avoidance of the allergy-causing food is the only way to avoid a reaction. Reading
ingredient labels for all foods is the key to avoiding a reaction. If a
product doesn’t have a label, individuals with a food allergy should not eat
that food. If you have any doubt whether a food is safe, call the
manufacturer for more information. Currently, there are no medications that
cure food allergies. Strict avoidance is the only way to prevent a reaction.
Many people outgrow their food allergies, although peanut, tree nuts, fish,
and shellfish are often considered lifelong allergies. Food Allergy Advice For Pregnant Mothers
Or Young Children ·
Exclusive breastfeeding until at least 6 months of age may
prevent or at least postpone allergies from developing. ·
Infants with eczema are at high risk of developing
allergies. Accordingly, mothers should try to avoid eating the allergic foods
while breastfeeding because the food allergens will pass through the breast
milk. ·
Only in extreme cases do we recommend mom not breastfeed.
In this situation we recommend using a hydrolyzed formula such as Alimentum or Nutramigen.
Occasionally even a hydrolyzed formula is too allergenic for the infant and
an amino acid based formula such as Neocate or Elecare is necessary. ·
Several recent studies demonstrate that ·
taking acidophilus daily in the last trimester of pregnancy and
while breastfeeding decreases the risk of developing allergies. supplementing
your infant’s diet with acidophilus also appears to decrease the risk of
developing allergies Specific Food Allergies All food labels should be
checked. These lists are generalized and not complete. |
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Foods That Do or ·
Chinese, Japanese, Indonesian, Thai, Vietnamese, and
African dishes often contain peanuts or are potentially contaminated with peanuts
during preparation. Additionally, foods sold in bakeries and ice cream shops
are often in contact with peanuts. It is recommended that peanut allergic
individuals either avoid or be especially careful with these types of foods
or restaurants. ·
Mixed nuts, ground nuts, nut pieces, and beer nuts. ·
Peanut butter, peanut oil, and peanut flour. ·
It is advised that peanut allergic patients be especially
careful with chocolate candies because of the occasional risk of
cross-contact during manufacturing. ·
Pesto sauces, Barbeque sauces ·
Arachis oil is a peanut oil. ·
Artificial nuts can be peanuts that have been deflavored and reflavored with
a nut, such as pecan or walnut. Mandelonas are
peanuts soaked in almond flavoring. |
Foods That Do or ·
Avoid products that contain milk, and/or other milk proteins such as
whey, albumin, lactin albumin, and casein. If any
of these proteins are ingested by someone who is very sensitive to milk, an
allergic reaction can occur. ·
Baked goods such as biscuits, breads, cakes, cookies, and pie crusts
if they contain milk products (such as) milk solids, batters, pancakes,
waffles ·
Canned, dried, powered milk, ovaltine,
malted milk ·
Cottage cheese and other cheeses, yogurt ·
Cream soup, macaroni or other pasta if with a cream sauce,
vegetables with cream sauce ·
Custard, ice cream, milk pudding, whipped cream? ·
Mashed potatoes if milk products are added ·
Milk chocolate and many candies ·
Some hot dogs and other prepared meats, some canned tuna
fish |
Foods That Do or ·
Some commercially processed cooked pastas
(including those in prepared foods such as soup) contain egg or are processed
on equipment shared with egg containing pastas. Boxed, dry pastas are usually
egg-free. Fresh pasta is sometimes egg-free, too. Read the label or ask about
ingredients before eating pasta. ·
Some commercial brands of egg substitutes contain egg
whites. ·
Eggs are often used as to create the foam or mild topping
on specialty coffee drinks and are used in some mixed drinks. ·
Foods whose labels that list albumin and lysozyme.
·
Mayonnaise, tartar sauce, mustard, barbeque flavored
potato chips. ·
Baked goods such as cakes, cookies, breads, batter
pancakes or waffles. Helpful websites
for · www.peanutallergy.com · www.kidswithfoodallergies.org
· www.jeeto.com |
