Food Fallacies

A food allergy is an adverse immune response to a food protein. The food protein triggering the allergic response is termed a food allergen. It is estimated that up to 12 million Americans have food allergies and the prevalence is rising. 6%-8% of children under the age of 3 have food allergies and nearly 4% of adults have them. Food allergy causes roughly 30,000 emergency room visits and 100 to 200 deaths per year in the United States. The most common food allergies in adults are shellfish, peanuts, tree nuts, fish and eggs and the most common food allergies in children are milk, eggs, peanuts, and tree nuts.

It is estimated that 1%-2% of the United States population is allergic to tree nuts, peanuts, or both. Approximately 9% of children with an allergy to tree nuts will outgrow their allergy. Interestingly, tree nuts are not related to peanuts. In addition, you can be allergic to some but not all tree nuts. Almonds seem to cause the least problems of all common tree nuts.
6.9 million allergic to fish and/or shellfish. The most common reactions include rash (atopic dermatitis), redness and swelling around the mouth, hives (urticaria), wheezing and difficulty breathing, stomachache, cramping, diarrhea or vomiting,
A milk allergy (sometimes called a milk protein allergy) is a reaction to one or more proteins present in the cow’s milk. There are over 20 proteins in cow's milk that may cause allergic reactions. Casein and whey are the two main components of cow’s milk responsible for the vast majority of reactions. Casein is the curd that forms when milk is left to sour, consisting of 80% and the watery part which is left after the curd is removed is called whey consists of rest 20%. The presenting symptoms such as colic, irritability, spitting, diarrhea, and eczema may disappear, but a new pattern of illness and symptoms may emerge such as nasal and sinus symptoms, recurrent abdominal pain, headaches, generalized lethargy, and dark circles under the eyes.

Allergy to eggs usually begins early in life and usually presents in infancy as a rash, including eczema or atopic dermatitis, or gastrointestinal symptoms, on rare occasions, anaphylaxis can occur in highly sensitized individuals. Mildly egg allergic children can often eat food prepared with small amounts of egg, such as cakes and muffins, without an immediate reaction. However, these trace quantities may aggravate eczema, and may cause the egg allergy to stay longer.

Stinging Insects-Allergic Blues

It is a common perception that allergic reaction stems out of exposure to unhygienic environment and intake of allergic food. The fact remains that allergy is peculiar to individuals and not the cause. What is allergic for one individual may be completely harmless for the other. Insect allergy is one of the lesser known types affecting individuals.

Insect allergy is mainly caused by stinging insects like wasp, bee, and hornets that transmit venom once it bites the victim. The venom damages the skin tissue and releases excessive amount of histamine. This is followed by redness, itching and inflammation of the affected area. Patients are sensitized by this and it stimulates their immune system to generate a kind of antibodies that bind venom protein against stings. This incident gives rise to throat troubles, difficulty in breathing, fall in blood pressure and even death. In medical terms, this is known as anaphylaptic reaction. In such a crisis, one should adopt certain first aid treatment to avoid the situation from getting worse.

First and foremost, get rid of the stinger ASAP and the venom sac should be removed from the skin immediately with some sharp object. Rub the area with ice and apply some Benadryl. This would help relief you of pain and itching. If the patient exhibit symptoms of anaphylaptic reaction, medical help should be called upon. If possible, an auto-injectable Epiphrine injection should be applied. Patients prone to sensitization are treated venom immunotherapy where they are desensitized against venom. However, this should be done only after being prescribed by an expert Allergist under strict vigilance.