immune disorders
Food Allergy
Causes of Food Allergy
Food allergies typically develop because the immune system malfunctions and misinterprets a food protein as dangerous. When the Overview of the Immune System is exposed to allergens, it produces a type of Almost any food or food additive can cause an allergic reaction. The most common triggers vary by age group. Infants and young childrenwith food allergies tend to be allergic to the most common allergy triggers (allergens), such as those in the following: Eggs Milk Wheat Peanuts Soybeans To prevent such allergies from developing, many parents avoid exposing their young children to these foods. However, new evidence suggests that regularly feeding infants foods that contain peanuts may help prevent them from developing a peanut allergy. More study of this approach is needed. Forolder children and adults,the most common triggers are allergens in Nuts Seafood, including shellfish Being exposed to other allergens that are similar to those in foods (such as pollen) may trigger the production of antibodies to substances in food, resulting in a food allergy. This process is called sensitization. For example, children with peanut allergy may have been sensitized to peanuts when topical creams containing peanut oil were used to treat rashes. Also, many people who are Latex sensitivity are also allergic to bananas, kiwis, avocados, or a combination. Latex and these fruits contain similar allergens. Food allergies are more common among children whose parents have food allergies, Allergic Rhinitis , or Alpha-gal syndrome is a rare, recently discovered form of allergy to red meat. Alpha-gal is a sugar that occurs in most mammals but not in fish, birds, reptiles, or people. Lone star ticks, which are present mostly in the southeastern United States, have alpha-gal in their saliva. When a lone star tick bites a person, it transmits alpha-gal to the person. Sometimes the immune system then produces antibodies to alpha-gal, resulting in an allergy to alpha-gal. Because alpha-gal is present in many red meats (such as pork, beef, lamb, and venison) and in foods produced from mammals (such as dairy products and gelatin), people with these antibodies may have an allergic reaction to these foods. Symptoms of alpha-gal syndrome include an itchy rash, indigestion, constipation, nausea, and Anaphylactic Reactions . Unlike other food allergies, symptoms of alpha-gal syndrome frequently do not occur until 3 to 8 hours after eating. Oral allergy syndrome (pollen food allergy syndrome) occurs in people who are allergic to pollen. Certain proteins in pollen are similar to some proteins in food. Thus, people with oral allergy syndrome also have an allergic reaction to foods that contain these similar proteins (called cross-reactivity). The foods involved are often nuts and raw fruits and vegetables. People can usually eat these foods if they are cooked because heat changes the protein structure so that the food proteins no longer resemble the pollen proteins. People who are allergic to certain pollens are often also allergic to specific foods as follows: Birch pollen: Apples, almonds, carrots, celery, cherries, hazelnuts, kiwi, peaches, pears, and plums Grass pollen: Celery, melons, oranges, peaches, and tomatoes Ragweed pollen: Bananas, cucumbers, melons, sunflower seeds, and zucchini When the food is eaten, the mouth and throat feel itchy. Although severe allergic reactions ( Anaphylactic Reactions ) are unlikely, they can occur. Doctors can usually diagnose oral allergy syndrome when people who have pollen allergies have allergic symptoms after eating certain foods. Skin testing are sometimes done to confirm the diagnosis. Often, oral allergy syndrome can be managed by not eating the problem food raw and/or thoroughly cooking the food. Doctors advise people with this allergy to carry a prefilled, self-injectingepinephrinesyringe. 