Child Food Allergies Recipes Food Cooking International
Guide
Child Food Allergies With Risk Of Severe Reactions
By Julia Taylor-Fernandez
It is very possible that your children will outgrow their child
food allergies, says Dr. Robert Wood, M.D. of the Johns Hopkins
Children’s Center. Dr. Wood explains: "We actually have done
studies with milk and egg allergies, and the peanut allergy.
What we’ve been able to show is that if your immune system recognizes
certain pieces of the protein in those foods, it may make it more
or less easy to outgrow those food allergies, whereas if they
recognize other segments of the food protein, it may have a different
effect on their ability to outgrow the allergy."
However, he says over the next 5-10 years, they will be able
to develop tests that can measure allergies and measure what part
of the protein causes the reaction, which will help in giving
an accurate prognosis for outgrowing the aversion.
Peanut Allergy Is One Of The Most Common Food Allergies
Experiencing an allergic reaction to peanuts is one of the most
common types of food related allergies. Shortly after being exposed
to peanuts, the allergic individual may experience a skin reaction
like hives, redness or swelling.
Their mouth and throat may itch, tingle or swell. They may have
digestive problems such as nausea, cramps, diarrhea or vomiting.
In the worst cases, the airways may become constricted, the pulse
may increase and there could be a severe drop in blood pressure
resulting in shock.
Avoiding All Exposure To Peanuts
Peanut allergies are the most common cause of anaphylaxis, a
medical emergency that requires an adrenaline injection. People
with this type of allergy must be careful to avoid all exposure
to peanuts, including direct skin contact, inhaling, consuming
or eating cross-contaminated products.
Peanuts can be found in cookies, pastries, mixed nuts, energy
bars, ice cream, cereals, granola, grain breads, marzipan and
even products like nougat, salad dressings, chocolates, sunflower
seeds and Arachis oil.
Allergic To Eggs
The egg allergy is another one of the common child food allergies.
While allergies can occur from all parts of the egg, some people
only show a reaction to egg whites in particular. People with
this allergy suffer from allergy symptoms like skin inflammation/hives,
asthma, nasal inflammation, cramps, nausea and vomiting.
In most cases, children outgrow egg allergies, but people with
life-long problems must watch out for hidden sources of eggs,
like marshmallows, mayonnaise, meringue, baked goods, mixes, batters,
sauces, frosting, pudding, meatloaf, meatballs, salad dressing,
pasta, root beer, alcoholic drinks and coffee. Shampoo, medications,
vaccines, cosmetics and finger paints also sometimes contain egg
protein. When it comes to processed foods, there are several terms
that imply the presence of egg protein, including albumin, globulin,
lecithin, livetin, lysozyme, Simplesse vitellin, ovalbumin and
ovoglobulin.
A Risk Of Severe Reaction
While most child food allergies are not life-threatening, it’s
important to be prepared for emergencies. Even people who have
had only mild reactions in the past are at a higher risk of developing
more serious reactions later.
A severe anaphylactic reaction can be treated with an emergency
injection of adrenaline/epinephrine. People who are at risk of
having severe reactions due to milk, wheat, egg or peanuts may
need to carry self-injectable epinephrine, like the EpiPen with
them at all times.
For milder symptoms, patients may take medications like antihistamines
to reduce itching and swelling.
Please Note: All information given
on this site is for information purposes and is not to replace
any medical opinion or medical diagnosis or any other medical
expert, as individual circumstances may vary. Please see your
medical doctor, before any action is taken to alleviate symptoms.
About the Author:
Julia Taylor-Fernandez has written a number of articles on food,
cooking and dieting including General
Nutrition, Salad
Dressings, Low
Carb Cheese Cake, Teen
Weight Loss, Low
Carb Dinners, Health
Food Store, Organic
Baby Food.
Keep a lookout for more of her articles on this website.
Did You Know?
How can I make my child understand his or her child food allergies?
Child food allergies can be difficult for
a parent or adult to understand let alone a child. But educating
your child is the best thing you can do. They may have lots of
questions about why other kids can eat certain things but they
cannot.
If they are very young these questions
may not surface immediately but you can begin preparing them by
explaining why certain foods are harmful to certain people. They
may not understand it at first but overtime it will sink in.
There are probably going to be times when
your child does have an allergic reaction. They will begin to
associate this with what you are saying and then begin taking
it upon themselves to make sure they are careful about what they
eat.
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