Key points:
- Food allergies affect 8% of children under 3 years old and up to 3% of adults.
- Although food allergy symptoms may have been mild the first time, they can be serious if it occurs again.
- There is no cure for these types of allergies, however, some children do not get them again when they grow up.
What causes a food allergy?
They are caused by eating certain foods and trigger physical symptoms ranging from mild to severe.
Sometimes the immune system recognizes certain ingredients as allergens and triggers its reaction, this can produce the following symptoms:
- Urticaria.
- Swelling of the lips, tongue, eyes, throat, etc.
- Dizziness and/or fainting.
- Difficulty breathing.
- Abdominal pain, diarrhea, and nausea.
Eating even a small amount of a certain food, or sometimes even touching or inhaling it, can trigger severe allergic reactions. Therefore, it is recommended that an allergic person completely avoid these foods and carry the medicine prescribed by their doctor for any emergency.
What is anaphylaxis?
When an allergy is at its more serious stage, it becomes anaphylaxis. This can put the patient’s life at risk if it is not treated immediately in the ER. The symptoms are:
- Rapid pulse.
- Loss of consciousness.
- Low blood pressure.
- Narrowing of the airways.
- Severe difficulty breathing.
What is the difference between food allergy and food intolerance?
Intolerance can cause discomfort such as inflammation, constipation, or nausea, this is due to the fact that the digestive system is not capable of processing said foods, such as, for example, the most common, milk.
What is pollen allergy syndrome?
This condition comes together with allergic rhinitis. Some nuts, fruits, and vegetables trigger allergic reactions that could lead to anaphylaxis, this is because they contain certain proteins very similar to those of some types of pollen.
In this box we show you some ingredients that could affect you if you are allergic to some types of pollen.
| If you are allergic to the following: | Birch pollen | Ragweed pollen | Herbs | Mugwort pollen |
| You may also have a reaction to the following: | Almond Apple Apricot Carrot Celery Cherries Hazelnut Peach Peanut Pear Plum Raw potatoes Soy Some herbs and spices (anise, caraway, coriander, fennel, parsley) |
Bananas Cucumber Melons (cantaloupe, honeydew, and watermelon) Zucchini |
Cucumber Kiwi Melons (cantaloupe, honeydew, and watermelon) Orange Peanut Tomatoes White potato Zucchini |
Apple Bell pepper Broccoli Cabbage Carrot Celery Cauliflower Garlic Onion Peach Some herbs and spices (anise, black pepper, caraway, coriander, fennel, mustard, parsley) |
Remember that you should go to your doctor for any symptom that does not seem normal and if you already know your allergies, prevent emergencies by always carrying your medications with you.
At the Nutrition and Obesity Center of the ABC Medical Center we can give you specialized care. Contact us!
Fuentes:
https://www.mayoclinic.org/es/diseases-conditions/food-allergy/symptoms-causes
https://kidshealth.org/es/parents/allergy-intolerance-esp.html
