Food Allergies is an immune system reaction that happens after eating a particular type of food. Statistics have shown that food allergy affects 8% of children under the age of 5 and 4% of adults. When you have food allergy, it means that your immune system identifies the food as something poisonous or harmful to you, as a way of fighting it, your system releases an antibody known as immunoglobulin E which leads to allergic symptoms, even the smallest intake of such foods can trigger the food allergy.
There are several types of food Allergies, but the common ones include; eggs, milk, fish, nuts and soy amongst others.
1. Egg Allergies; Egg Allergies are mostly common in children, according to research, most children with Egg Allergies often outgrow it, children with this type of Allergies often show it minutes or hours after eating eggs or food that contains eggs. Symptoms includes; itchy skin, coughing or wheezing, redness and itching of the eyes, difficulties in breathing and dizziness. This allergy occurs when the immune system identifies Egg proteins as harmful, in response, the immune system produces immunoglobulin E which releases chemicals such as histamine which leads to these allergic symptoms.
2. Milk Allergies; This Allergy happens after consuming milk especially cow milk, however other types of milk like goat milk, and sheep milk can trigger this. It is different from lactose intolerance which is the inability to digest the sugar found in milk. Lactose intolerance results in symptoms like bloating, gas and diarrhea, while milk Allergies symptoms are more severe, they include; digestive issues, skin reactions, tingling and swelling of the lips, tongue or throat, nausea and vomiting and in extreme cases loss of consciousness.
3. Fish Allergies; people with fish Allergies might be allergic to some kind of fish, not all kinds, it happens when someone eats fish or inhale the vapours from cooking fish, this allergy is common in adults. In this particular allergy, parvalbuims are the proteins responsible for triggering the allergic response . It is important to note that Fish Allergies can develop later in life, even if fish has been consumed before without any complications. Most common symptoms of food Allergies are nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, watery eyes, and light-headedness.
4. Nut Allergies; This is when an individual immune system reacts to nuts, they are associated with nuts like, Peanuts, Cashews, Walnuts and Hazelnuts. This is very common in both adult and children, but 20% of children eventually outgrow them. Common symptoms include; rashes, swelling of the face , running nose, sore throat, and in severe cases, changes in the heart and low blood pressure.
5. Soy Allergies; This happens when immune system reacts to proteins found in Soybeans, the proteins in Soy reactions are called Allergens, the two main allergenic proteins in Soyvare called Gly m5 and Gly m6. This also, is different from Soy intolerance which is difficulty in digesting soy products. Common symptoms of Soy Allergies are; stomach cramps, indigestion, coughing itching and eczema.
In conclusion, symptoms in Food Allergies can range from mild to severe. One of th first way of curing Food Allergies is to total avoid foods one is Allergic to , in a case of mistake in digesting food an individual is allergic to, emergency medications such as epinephrine autoinjectors should be administered after administration, it is important to seek medical care.