The Factors Involved Of Children Living With Food Allergies

Kids Living With Food Allergies

Allergies can be quite bothersome. They take on an entirely new level of irritation when they involve food and food byproducts. Many times, parents do not know what foods their child has developed allergies to until they have been exposed to those foods. Unfortunately, by the time they find out, their child has already suffered a troubling reaction. The ingredients in a food can also cause allergic reactions if they contain byproducts of the food allergen. This can be frightening to parents who do not know how to handle the symptoms of an allergic reaction.

Food allergies, as opposed to food sensitivities, occur in the immune system. A true allergy to a food results in a violent, life-threatening reaction caused by the immune system attacking the offending protein as it enters the body and bloodstream. The immune system produces an antibody called IgE, which seeks out and bonds with the protein of the food that the child is allergic to. The build up of IgE proteins in the blood stream releases a torrent of chemicals that can cause itching, swelling, vomiting, fever, difficulty breathing, and many other symptoms, and can eventually lead to the systems of the body shutting down.

Most food allergies appear before a child reaches three years of life. However, if a chils is never subjected to specific types of foods that they may have an allergy to in their younger years, they may show an allergic reaction at some point later in their lives. Most common allergens include wheat, milk, nuts, soy, and eggs. In fact, those foods incorporate over ninety percent of the allergies children face.

To be a true food allergy the reaction must occur immediately after eating the offending food. Reactions that occur more than two hours after eating a food are not food allergies. They may be sensitivities to the food or an allergic reaction to something else. Also, allergies will occur every single time the child eats the food. Many allergies are outgrown if the child successfully avoids the food in their preschool years. Nut allergies and seafood allergies do tend to follow the child into adulthood.

Although some food allergies cause problems for a lifetime, many of them can be outgrown.
If you are concerned that your child may have a food allergy, it is crucial to have them screened through the use of an allergy skin test. This will eliminate any doubt in your mind about whether or not there is allergy present. Once diagnosed, inform all caretakers, family, and friends about the allergy, and teach your child to ask what is in the foods that they are offered. The best way to deal with allergies in children is to completely avoid the foods that cause the reaction.

It is next to impossible, however, to protect your child from dangerous foods every minute of every day. Packaging has come a long way in recent years, and packaged foods are usually clearly labeled with potential allergens, but your child may not know how to read the labels, and may inadvertently grab a handful of snack mix that has a trace of peanuts in it. Because of the danger of life threatening complications, always have an Epi-pen handy, and make sure your child or her caregivers knows how to use it. An Epi-pen is a large shot of epinephrine, which will stabilize the allergic reaction until help can be summoned. After administering the epinephrine, call 911 to get immediate medical help for your child.

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