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Understanding Food Allergies
From vegetables to milk to meat, humans generally enjoy a wide variety of foods that provide the body with nutrition and energy. But for some people with food allergies, eating certain foods or food components can cause a mild to serious abnormal reaction, with symptoms such as throat swelling, abdominal pain and wheezing. After eating certain foods, some people may even experience anaphylaxis, a dangerous condition that renders a person unable to breathe and can reduce blood pressure to extremely low levels.
According to the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network, between 6 and 7 million Americans suffer from food allergies. There's no cure; the only way to avoid the symptoms of a food allergy is to avoid the food. Some common foods that are more likely to cause reactions in allergic people include: milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts such as cashews and walnuts, fish, shellfish, soy and wheat.
If you have a food allergy, these tips from the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network can help you cope:
- Look for alternative foods to the foods you can no longer eat. For example, if you're allergic to eggs, find commercial egg substitutes that substitute other forms of proteins.
- Become an expert at reading food labels. For example if you have a peanut allergy, you'll need to watch out for foods that contain "hydrolyzed vegetable protein" or "ground nuts," which may contain peanuts.
- Learn to ask waiters in restaurants about the ingredients used to prepare food.
- Carry a medical identification card in your wallet, or wear a medical identification bracelet that will clearly state your allergies in case of an emergency. You may also want to talk to your doctor about carrying emergency epinephrine in your first-aid kit in case of anaphylaxis.
Sources: Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network, www.foodallergy.org. |
