In the last section you learned how common it is for people to have allergies or sensitivities to various substances and food products. It is hard to categorize allergies into one group, because they come in so many different shapes and sizes. There are many types of allergies one may develop. Allergies also affect people in different ways. What many people believe to be allergies more commonly are sensitivities that, when properly treated, may resolve themselves with a little TLC.
This section will cover some of the more common “types” of allergies people have or develop. We’ll start with an overview of food allergies, since a growing number of people are discovering they have food sensitivities and allergies throughout the world.
Since most people expose themselves to various foods each day, it is important you understand how relevant food allergies and sensitivities are to your overall health and wellness.
Food allergies and sensitivities are among the most common in the world today. People are exposed to foods every day. Most people also do not eat the types of foods our bodies were necessarily designed to eat; if you think about it, in times of old there was no such thing as “processed” foods. Most people ate what was available in nature. It is likely that back in early times, food allergies and sensitivities were almost unheard of.
Much of the food we eat today however is processed, handled, manipulated, and changed from its natural state. The addition of food processing has correlated with increasing levels of food sensitivities and true allergies among people throughout the world. There are even some studies suggesting the pasteurization process, which is supposed to make milk and other products safer to eat, may contribute to food sensitivities.
The American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, with the Food & Drug Administration, suggest between 1 and 2 percent of people develop allergies while adults, while up to 6 percent of children develop allergies before the age of five. That means food allergies are more likely to develop early in life than they are later in life, though it is possible to develop an allergy as an adult even if you never had one as a child.
Why the disparity? Often children are far more sensitive to food allergens than adults, in part because of their immature digestive and immune systems. This is especially the case during infancy. Most doctor’s and other healthcare providers recommend parents avoid feeding their children anything other than breast milk or formula until the child is four months, but usually at least six months old.
After this time, foods should be introduced slowly, so parents can detect whether their child may have food sensitivities. Offering children foods they are sensitive to can frequently lead to a host of problems, including eczema, GERD (short for gastro-esophageal reflux disease), irritability, colic and eventually a true, potentially life-threatening food allergy resulting in an anaphylactic reaction.
The immune system flairs up to protect the body from the “supposed” intruder. This response is an allergy, with symptoms ranging from mild nausea and discomfort to diarrhea, vomiting or in very severe cases, anaphylaxis.
If anaphylaxis occurs, a person’s airways may become constricted, causing an emergent, life-threatening event. Food allergies are more likely than other allergies to cause anaphylactic reactions, and can come on suddenly, even on first contact with a food. Medical attention is almost always critical in cases like this. Peanut Butter is an example of a food that often causes anaphylactic reactions in allergy-prone people; seafood is another.
This is one reason many airlines stopped serving peanuts, because people who are allergic to peanuts may experience a reaction just by being close to, or breathing in remnants of, peanuts. While it is rare for people to have this severe a food sensitivity, it can happen, and if it does, it is very important the person with the sensitivity take great care to protect themselves.
Most people who have true food allergies develop them while they are children, or have sensitivity early in life that develops into a full-blown allergy later in life after repeated exposure to the known irritant. Many healthcare providers recommend parents avoid giving their children certain highly allergenic foods until after they are two years old, to lessen their chances of developing allergies.
Of course, this list is not comprehensive, and an individual can become sensitive to just about any product there is to eat. The foods least likely to cause allergic reactions include rice (which is one reason rice cereal is often the first food given to children) and some natural whole foods including some vegetables that are non-acidic (like potatoes).
Why is it that some children develop allergies and others do not? For the most part, researchers believe that one’s tendency to develop allergies is linked with their family history and genetics.
Other factors that may contribute to the likelihood of allergies may include whether a child or adult has an impaired immune system, the result of an auto-immune disorder or other illness. A child born premature may be more at risk for developing food sensitivities than one born at full gestation, simply because their immune and digestive systems are far more underdeveloped than their older peers.
There is a strong chance that if parents have some food allergies, their children will too. A common sign of food allergies in children is eczema.
Food allergies and sensitivities may present themselves in many different ways. One of the most common ways food allergies and sensitivities show up is through skin disorders, the most common of which is eczema.
Eczema is a fairly common condition that results in red patches on the skin that may crust up or ooze and itch. The skin may appear raw and irritated during flares. Eczema may appear anywhere on the body, but is most common in places like under the knees, on the elbows, on the face and in patches on the arms or stomach.
Eczema may result from allergies to specific foods or sensitivities to foods, or from products like soap that contain artificial ingredients. Someone with eczema may have very mild symptoms that come and go, and worsen only when the person eats or exposes their body to a product or food they have a sensitivity too.
Usually a child or an adult can easily relieve their symptoms by finding out which food or other product they are sensitive to and eliminating it from their diet.
A common irritant among children is oats. Keep in mind if your child is sensitive to oats, many over-the-county baby bath products, including lotions, contain oats, so you will have to be careful to avoid bathing your baby in them if your baby has eczema and you know they are sensitive to oats or related grains.
You may be eating oats to help boost your milk production, but if your baby is sensitive to oats and you are breastfeeding, you may actually pass on the oats you eat through your breast milk.
The same is true of other foods your baby may be sensitive to, so keep this in mind as a parent if you plan to breastfeed your child.
Certain foods more commonly cause eczema than others, these include: soy, milk, oats, nuts, eggs and nut butters. Corn is another food product many children are commonly sensitive too. Corn is in many products, even in most cereals you may not expect. You may find you have to limit your child’s diet to mostly rice products, even rice milk for a short time until you identify all the known culprits in their skin condition.
While you won’t cure eczema by avoiding foods you are sensitive or allergic to, you can greatly reduce the severity and number of flare ups you experience.
Remember, genetics play a large role in one’s chances of developing food sensitivities and allergies. If a child’s parents both have allergies, they are much more likely to be sensitive to foods than if one or the other parent has a food allergy. Other allergies, such as allergies to cats, other animals or plants may also trigger food allergies in children.
Thus far we have recommended that if you know you are allergic or sensitive to something, you avoid it. We also recommended, based on case precedent and historical recommendations from societies including the CDC and the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology that you avoid exposing your children to known irritants for the first two years of life, when their immune and digestive systems are most sensitive.
Even though this is the case, of late some researchers have been trying to prove otherwise. For every scientific study recommending parents take one approach to avoiding allergies, another will surface saying something else.
While most pediatricians recommend children avoid allergenic foods until they are older than 2 years, there are other studies now suggesting exposing children to food allergens early in life may help develop their immune systems so they are more likely to ward off allergies later.
For example, one study published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology found children exposed to food allergens earlier in life had more tolerance for them later.
If your child demonstrates severe allergy symptoms however, including vomiting, diarrhea, nausea, respiratory distress or any other alarming symptoms, talk with your doctor immediately about the possibility of food allergies. They may recommend a special diet until the source of your child’s symptoms is clearly identified.
Some children who have food sensitivities early in childhood grow into adults that do not have allergies to foods. The opposite is also true. Many adults now find that the foods they once enjoyed are causing them to have uncomfortable, allergy-like symptoms, or worse, full-blown allergies.
Why the sudden change? The jury is still out. Some theorists suggest that our bodies are so over polluted by daily exposure to environmental toxins that people in general are simply more susceptible to allergies later in life.
If someone eats too much of anything, it is possible they can develop a sensitivity to this product even if for a short time. Keep in mind that you should consider every study and tidbit of information you read, including the information in this guide, with your skeptic’s hat in place.
When in doubt, do your homework, and rely on the advice of your pediatrician or your family physician.
How do you know if you or your child may have a food allergy? We’ve already talked about many of the telltale signs an individual will have if they have an allergy to a certain food product. Just look for the symptoms mentioned above. With foods, digestive problems and skin problems are more common than are classic allergy symptoms, like the watery, itchy eyes and sneezing associated with allergies to environmental irritants.
If you notice gas or bloating after eating a particular food, you may be sensitive or allergic to it. If in doubt, you may consult with your healthcare provider to confirm for certain whether you are sensitive to a food product or not.
The simplest way to avoid feeling bad or suffering from food allergies is to find out what foods trigger allergy symptoms in your body. You can find out what these triggers are easily by adopting an allergy elimination diet.
What this will usually involve is eating a very bland diet for a couple of weeks. You may usually eat foods including rice, vegetables, lean proteins (excluding eggs and fish) and certain broths.
Your healthcare provider may then suggest you reintroduce foods into your diet one at a time, introducing one new food every two to four days. Monitor how you feel during this time.
Do you experience gas or bloating? Does the food make you nauseous? Do you suddenly develop diarrhea or nausea? If so, you may have a food sensitivity or allergy.
You can repeat this and reintroduce foods until you determine what foods are most likely to cause allergic symptoms in your body. After doing this, you are best off avoiding these foods.
You can also consult with a qualified allergist and have a blood test conducted to find out what foods you are most likely to be allergic to.
True food allergies may not show up in a blood test given to children before they are one or two years old, but most adults can benefit from them immediately.
Did you know? More than 50% of the population has some form of allergy; more than half of these don’t even know it!
It’s called the, “Suffer in Silence” sickness. Perhaps you have unusual skin problems, and are uncertain as to the cause. You may have trouble sleeping for example, and assume the cause of your problem is stress, not the food you ate just a few short hours ago.
Maybe you have been ailing for some time, but can’t determine the reason why. If you are experiencing any type of problem you can’t find a logical answer for, consider having your doctor examine you for food allergies. Not surprisingly, they are one of the most common, yet “unknown” causes for many chronic ailments. Imagine how nice your life might be if all you had to do to feel better was make a quick change or two in your diet?
Food allergies are but one of many different allergens. If you do have a food allergy, you may find you are prone to other types of common allergies.
Do you find you are consistently reaching for the Claritin? There are thousands of people living everyday with what most consider “common” allergies. These include allergies to substances other than food. Most of these allergies stem from exposure to environmental irritants, including indoor and outdoor “pollutants” and even natural or organic products in nature.
Some of the more common allergens include: insects, pollen, plants, flowers, trees and chemicals. Let’s take some time to review some of these more common allergens.
Most people experience flares or a worsening of their symptoms in the spring, when flowers and other trees begin blooming, releasing pollens in the air. The good news is even if you are sensitive to any or all of these common allergens you can take steps to reduce your exposure and the severity of flare-ups.
Like food allergies, the first step in alleviating common allergies is identifying your triggers. A simple blood test is sometimes all that is needed to define the reasons for your symptoms. For many common allergens, most people experience a wide range of symptoms that may include: itchy, watery eyes; sneezing; chronic respiratory problems; asthma; problems sleeping; swelling or hives; anaphylactic or emergent reactions requiring immediate medical assistance.
In the next section, we will focus more on diagnosing and treating common allergies. We’ll also talk about ways you can avoid triggers in more detail, so you can free yourself from the confines that allergies often produce.
Allergies come in many different shapes and sizes. People have allergies to dust, mold, bugs, insects, pollen and more. A person’s reaction to an allergenic substance will vary; some people will have mild symptoms that remain mild no matter their exposure to a known allergen, while others will experience severe, life-threatening reactions that may require emergency medical care.
The best way to reduce your odds of experiencing severe symptoms is by learning what your allergy triggers are, how to reduce your exposure and how to treat allergies when they do occur. Let’s now move on to discuss treatment and diagnosis.
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