Ingestant (Food) Allergies
There is public confusion regarding our body’s reaction to certain foods. On a basic level, an adverse food reaction refers to any reaction following the ingestion of a food.
One cause might be a food allergy, the result of an abnormal immunologic response following the ingestion of a food; the other reaction might be the consequence of food intolerance, caused by a non-immunologic mechanism.
Food allergies (immunologic) can have responses that are IgE mediated (oral allergy syndrome, analphylaxis) or IgG mediated (cyclic food allergy, protein-induced enterocolitis, gluten sensitive enteropathy/celiac sprue).
Infants and toddlers have a much more permeable GI tract than adults, and are therefore very susceptible to food allergies. These can be difficult and can be mediated through both IgE and IgG.
- Types of Food Allergies
Food allergies can be either fixed or cyclical.
- Signs and Symptoms of Food Allergies
Food allergies can cause vomiting, diarrhea, bloating, and colic, among other symptoms.
- Cause of Food Allergies
Major allergenic foods in children are milk, egg, soy, wheat, tree nuts, and peanuts; among adults, peanuts, tree nuts, shellfish, and fish are the most likely causes.
- Extent of the Food Allergy Problem
One to two percent of adults and six to eight percent of infants and children have fixed IgE mediated food allergies.
- Diagnosing Food Allergies
Strategies include elimination diets and oral challenge eating.
- Diagnosing Food Allergies in Children
Diagnosing food allergies in children is based on a history of the child’s experience.
- Treating Food Allergies
Treatment is mainly through dietary manipulation, and can include medical therapy and immunotherapy.
- Preventing Food Allergies
If there is a positive family history for food allergies, then the first prevention steps should take place at birth.
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