Did you know that approximately 50 million Americans live with some type of food allergy? According to the CDC, these typically develop during early childhood, however, adults are not immune to developing an allergy in later years of life.
The way a food allergy develops is quite interesting. The human body’s immune system is created to fight off any harmful infection or foreigner not recognized. This is seen when your body overreacts to a particular food. Your body recognizes this as a dangerous foreigner and creates a protective response in your system.
Symptoms vary from person to person, ranging from mild to severe reactions including:
- Vomiting
- Hives
- Shortness of breath
- Wheezing
- Tightness of throat
- Dizziness
- Cough
The most severe reaction of all would be anaphylaxis. This may cause you to lose your breath and your heart rate to drop instantly. This can ultimately be fatal but can be treated instantly with an injection, also known as the “EpiPen”.
- Eggs
- Milk
- Peanuts
- Tree nuts
- Fish
- Shellfish
- Wheat
- Soy
It is important to know that not everyone who experiences a certain symptom has a severe food allergy. This can very well be caused by other external factors found on the foods consumed such as pollen, for example.
If you have experienced any of these symptoms repeatedly, be sure to make an appointment with an allergist. They will be able to perform different type of topical tests that can check whether or not you have the accurate antibodies.
