Food Allergies Causes
Food borne allergies are experiencing a notable increase. Its incidence has doubled in the last 25 years, and in addition to genetic and environmental factors, a number of factors appear to strongly influence the growth of this type of disease: Among them, let us note the introduction of cereals in the diet of infants, begins to universalize from the 60s. Cereal proteins have large capacities allergenic.
Another factor behind the rise of food allergies is the increased consumption of exotic fruits, newly introduced in the market, to which our body is not accustomed. According to WHO, low birth weight is also crucial. Babies weighing less than 2,500 grams (9% of newborns in Spain) show an impaired immune response, poor, and are more prone to allergic and infectious diseases.
Finally, the doctors consider that give bottles too early instead of breastfeeding, is another factor explaining the increase in allergies.
Food Allergens and Parasites
There are hidden allergens, whose detection is sometimes almost impossible to present in industrially processed foods which to improve its appearance, color and flavor are added substances such as casein, soy protein, wheat gluten, corn or oat derived extracts yeasts.
The egg is hidden in many foods, without being listed in its composition, as in some bakery products and pastry, brushed with egg to give them shiny and bright appearance. Individuals with egg allergy should be careful with vaccines for measles, mumps, rubella and influenza, which contain trace amounts of egg proteins, although in general tend to be well tolerated. Some reactions to these proteins may be more due to gelatin containing its own egg.
Allergies caused by other foods such as peanuts, tree nuts, fish and shellfish are more durable in their awareness and can last for decades or for life. In these cases, we must refrain from taking them.
A parasite of fish can cause allergies, sometimes with serious results. The parasite enters humans through ingestion of raw, salted, smoked, pickled or marinated. It is removed by heat and cold. Therefore, frying, baking or grilling fish is the key to prevention. Freezing is also a guarantee, as the parasite larvae die. But we should avoid eating raw fish.
Food Allergy Symptoms
Symptoms of food allergy are hives, eczema and pruritus or itching (on the skin), allergic rhinitis or asthma (a respiratory level) and nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and diarrhea (at the gastric level.) Some reactions may occur or other, or several of them combined. In some cases, severe reactions occur, such as anaphylactic shock, severe acute bronchospasm, and angioedema of the airways, which may even lead to death.
The diagnosis of food allergy is not easy and at times almost detective work. Although age and allergic manifestations are a clue and guide to the specialist, you have to use specific tests to find the food culprit.
How to Spot Food Allergies
Skin tests are the most used. The so-called prick-prick is to chop the fresh food with a lancet, and then click on the forearm skin of patients with the same instrument and analyze the reaction after 15 minutes. If the result is positive and an allergy is detected, it forms a papule. Also used food challenge, of removing from the diet for two weeks the suspected food and then return to administer it, starting with very small doses and observing the reaction it causes.
The elimination diet is the first choice when it comes to allergies in young children. It dispenses with the suspected food and there is a marked improvement in a few weeks, of course eliminated if the food is responsible. If this does not found the culprit, can be tested with the diet of provocation. This type of testing should be done with the doctor, they are not without risks.
Comments on this entry are closed.