Food Allergies

Do you feel uneasy or giddy or break out into a rash after eating sea food? Do peanuts make you want to puke and pineapples gives you swollen lips? Then you are quite likely suffering from food allergy.

However, every time a person reacts to a certain food, it is taken for granted that allergic reaction has taken place. But that is not always the truth. Food allergy is different from food poisoning or food intolerance. An allergy occurs rather very quickly within a few minutes to an hour.

Immediate symptoms of food allergy are itching in the mouth and difficulty in swallowing and breathing. Then there is difficulty of digestion of food in the stomach and intestines, symptoms such as puking, stomach pain and diarrhea. Food allergies can cause asthma as well. On the other hand food intolerance symptoms are very mild and not immediate and it I sot life threatening, while in the case of an allergy it can be fatal.

For adults the most common food s that cause allergic reactions are sea food, beans, nuts, soybeans, Soya-flour and peanuts. Children generally suffer from milk allergy specially cows milk. The protein in cow’s milk is very similar to the protein in goat’s or sheep’s milk and hence it cannot be used as a substitute. Parents then can switch over to soya milk for kids. Kids get allergy from eggs as well. Children generally outgrow these allergies as they grow, but adults do not.

“To avoid allergic reactions it is important to read food labels carefully before buying anything be it a ready to eat foodstuff or may be just a jar of jam or a bottle of sauce. It is absolutely necessary to go through the ingredients before making any purchase,” says nutritionist Dr. Seema Sharma. Don’t be too adventurous when you are trying out new dishes. Avoid anything that is unknown or at least make an effort to find out the ingredients in the dish. Educate your self about food allergy and be careful about what you eat.