Friday, July 19, 2013

What are the Common Food Allergies in Children and Adults

By Kate Richards


When allergic reactions occur, the effects can range from mild to serious reactions. Children are more susceptible to allergic reactions from foods like eggs and milk. Similarly, adults also suffer allergic reactions from foods like vegetables and fruits. Certain foods like peanuts cause nut allergies, which can affect both young people and adults.

When allergy symptoms manifest, they may affect different areas of the body at the same time. Some of the symptoms experienced in food allergic conditions include skin rashes that are raised and itchy, also known as asurticaria; itching sensation in throat, ears, and mouth; and inflamed eyes, tongue, lips, and the roof of mouth, which is also known as angiodema.

If the allergy reactions are very serious, they can trigger life-threatening symptoms like anaphylaxis. Allergies occur when the immune system in the body mistakenly attacks proteins found in the food. The immunity function acts abnormally and invades the proteins in food after it perceives them as foreign substances. The body releases chemicals to fight the otherwise harmless proteins and it is from these chemicals that allergic reactions occur.

Almost all foods can trigger allergic reaction but there are those, which are mostly associated with allergies. In children, foods such as peanuts, eggs, tree nuts, shellfish, and milk are the most common causes of allergies. To add on this, children who show a background of suffering from an allergy skin condition known as eczema have higher chances of experiencing food allergies. The earlier and more serious the eczema manifests in a child, the more the child is likely to suffer food related allergies.

Adults on the other hand are likely to experience allergic reactions from certain foods like vegetables, crustaceans, and fruits. Vegetables like carrots, potatoes, celery, and parsnip are some of the common triggers of allergy conditions in adults. Crabs, prawns, lobsters, shellfish, and fish are other triggers of the condition. Tree nuts including peanuts, pistachios, walnuts, almonds, and brazil nuts are other allergy-inducing foods.

It is not clearly understood why allergic reaction occur in people but it has been established that people who suffer food allergies also experience other allergic conditions like eczema, hay fever, and asthma. No treatment has been found for allergy, and one effective way of managing the condition is by identifying the foods causing the symptoms and avoiding them.

Certain medications can help in relieving the symptoms of allergy and they include antihistamine, which helps in treating mild and moderate allergy conditions. Adrenaline is an effective medication for treatment of serious food allergy conditions like anaphylaxis. Besides these treatments, people experiencing food allergies can get help from auto-injector pens, which have prescribed dosages for emergency relieve of allergy symptoms.

Food related allergies mainly occur in children who are below the age of three. Within this age, it is estimated that 1 in 14 children have a possibility of suffering allergies from foods. Many children tend to overcome the allergy triggers from foods like soya, eggs, and milk by the time they attain school age as the immune system matures.




About the Author:





No comments :

Post a Comment