The main problem of those affected by common food allergies is they do not always know the composition of the food they eat. One drawback is not specific on packaged foods since, by law, expressly mentioned on the label all the ingredients recognized among the most common food allergens such as dairy products, legumes (including peanuts and soybeans), eggs, crustaceans, fish, vegetables, wheat and cereals containing gluten, nuts, celery, mustard and sesame seeds and products derived from these foods, as well as sulfites. The risk to take one of these “forbidden” foods is greater when dining out at a restaurant, cafeteria or whenever you buy products in bulk without label.
In the restaurant it is customary for some of the dishes offered on a regular basis as common as thickeners contain wheat flour or flavorings such as cream. Ingredients which, while seemingly harmless, are toxic in case of intolerance or food allergies. A dish of peas with ham or stew meat can be prepared by a spoonful of wheat flour or several slices of toasted bread to thicken the sauce. For this reason, until the approval of the rule requiring restaurants to inform customers of the composition and the exact ingredients that make each dish, we must act with common sense. When in doubt, you ask the waiter or cook if cooked dish containing the food is toxic. And if the answer is not satisfactory, either the ingredients or ignorance, the best recipe is to not try.
If those affected by this type of allergy are the children, parents are responsible for alerting their teachers, guardians and even chef of the canteen on the allergy-causing foods. Among the various activities carried out in recent years highlights the drafting of a nutritional protocol that includes a section on menus for special diets in the dietary recommendations set out to instances of intolerance to gluten and food allergy. It is mandatory that these recommendations may hear staff working in the catering company in the kitchen and at school.
The main diagnostic tools for assessing food allergies and intolerances are medical history, skin tests, blood analytics that determine the number of specific immunoglobulin or IgE (allergic individuals have, in general, higher levels of these antibodies in your body) and allowances of exposure or provocation.
Before making this type of test is excluded from the patient’s diet for a few days all foods suspected of causing allergy. If the patient has not improved after two weeks of strict exclusion diet, it is understood that it is unlikely that allergy is the cause of their symptoms. If after such an exclusion diet improves clearly affected, there will be evidence of provocation, provided in a hospital equipped with the necessary resuscitation measures in case of anaphylaxis. During the observation period shall be a detailed record of the quantity administered, time and events that occur.
Allergic reactions: main symptoms
The most representative symptoms of allergic reactions have generally a rash around the mouth, itching in and around the area of the pharynx.
Skin symptoms like hives, swelling of the lips and eyelids. You can give a serious situation if the edema is located in the larynx and can cause an obstruction to airflow. It manifests itself in a hoarse voice and difficulty in breathing and swallowing.
Gastrointestinal symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhea. Respiratory symptoms as sneezing, runny nose and itchy watery red eyes and swollen eyelids, and in a timely manner, with symptoms of asthma (cough, fatigue and wheezing in the chest).
After being exposed to a substance for the first time, a person’s immune system becomes sensitive and in a later exposure, an allergic reaction can occur suddenly and severely throughout the body, known as anaphylaxis. This situation is considered extremely severe if associated with dizziness or loss of consciousness. In this case it is called anaphylactic shock and is the worst situation of an allergic reaction.
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