Most common food allergies
You have probably heard of someone dying from eating a peanut or having severe stomach cramps from eating eggs? In America alone there are about 12 million people that suffer from food allergies.
There are many types of foods that can cause food allergies but there are eight main categories of allergy causing foods and they are:
Milk,
Tree Nut,
Egg,
Wheat,
Soy,
Seafood,
Shellfish
Peanuts.
While they all can produce similar reactions some allergy causing foods have specific lists of symptoms.
Milk allergies are caused by the body’s reaction to specific proteins found in cow’s milk. The reactions can manifest in as nausea, vomiting, bloating, abdominal pain and diarrhea. Babies often have colic when they have a milk allergy. Correct diagnosis is important because these are similar symptoms to Lactose Intolerance which is not an allergy but a sensitivity and occurs due to the lack of a specific food enzyme called lactase. Milk allergies can also affect the skin in the form of hives, rashes and atopic dermatitis. In the nervous system it can manifest as distress and anxiety. Like most food allergies avoidance is the main treatment. Milk allergies not only occur from drinking milk, but can also occur when digesting any product that contains milk, such as cheese, ice cream and yogurt. However you must read labels as there are many other non-dairy products that contain milk components in them. One other important thing to remember is that if you eliminate milk products from your diet you must make sure you are getting enough calcium from other foods or supplements.
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Egg allergies are mostly found in children. The symptoms are similar to those of milk. You must look carefully at labels because eggs are often used as an emulsifier in processed foods. There are egg substitutes which are made from other food products. When baking, a cup of applesauce can be used to replace one egg. Another thing to consider is that flu shots and vaccines contain egg products. Resent research has shown that a lot of patients have been growing out of their egg allergy as they get older.
While you might think tree nut and peanut allergies are similar they are not exactly the same. The biggest difference between tree nuts and peanuts are that peanuts aren’t actually a nut, they are a legume. Peanut allergies can cause frequent urination, night blindness, lowered blood pressure, swelling of the brain, hives and sometimes a flushed look to the person. Peanuts allergies can cause stomach upset and even erectile dysfunction. Avoidance of not only peanuts but any product made with any part of a peanut and even products made in the same place peanuts products are manufactured. Death from a peanut allergy is the most common kind of death from food allergies. The symptoms of tree nut allergies are similar to milk allergies.
Shellfish are actually a subcategory of seafood allergies. Seafood allergies encompass other types of fish and fish products. The symptoms are similar to milk allergies and avoidance is the only treatment.
Soy and Wheat allergies are the same. You must look carefully at labels and realize there are many products that use wheat and Soy products. Many menus are restaurants label which foods contain these products now.
The main point about having a food allergy is to read the label of all processed foods before consuming them, often ingredients are hidden in the fine print. If you have an egg allergy inform your doctor before getting a flu shot. Food allergies need not disrupt your life, they can be managed.
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