What To Do If Your Child Has A Food Allergy

Nobody likes battling with allergies. While these can be extremely irritating, allergy sufferers have it even worse if they are allergic to foods and food by products. It is especially hard for parents to know what types of food allergies their children have developed. Usually, by the time parents find out, their child has already experienced a bad allergic reaction.

Food allergies, as opposed to food sensitivities, occur in the immune system. A true allergy to a food usually results in a violent bodily reaction caused by the immune system attacking the offending protein as it gets into the body and the bloodstream. This reaction can at times lead even to the death of the person afflicted with this condition.

The antibody, IgE (Immunoglobulin E) is found in the immune system. This antibody goes right to action by bonding with the protein of the food that an individual is allergic to. When these IgE proteins build up, the body releases chemicals that cause a variety of reactions. These include: itching, fever, swelling, trouble breathing, vomiting and may even cause certain body system functions to shut down.

Food allergies are usually detected before a child reaches three years old. While this is normally the case, many children develop allergies to food later when they are exposed to a wider variety of foods.

The most commonly encountered food allergens include wheat, milk, nuts, soy, and eggs. In fact, these foods constitute over ninety percent of the allergies that children react to.

There is a big difference between food sensitivities and actually being allergic to specific foods. Food sensitivities can cause allergy-like reactions but often times these do not appear until long after the food is consumed. Usually, there is at least a two-hour time lapse before certain reactions develop.

Those suffering from a true food allergy experience the effects immediately. These troublesome reactions occur each and every time the food is consumed. There is a chance that some allergies will be outgrown if they are avoided early in life, but many children will remain allergic to the food in question for the rest of their lives.

If you think that your child might have an allergy to food, it would be best to have your child screened with an allergy skin test. With this test, there will be no more doubts in your mind about the safety of your child. If a skin allergy is detected, be certain to inform all family, relatives, friends and providers of health care about it. You must also teach your child the importance of asking about the food they are being served. Knowing what foods are causing allergies can help you avoid those foods altogether.

It is nearly impossible to protect your child from allergens every moment of every day. Most food labels on packaged food contains warnings of potential food allergens. Many children do not know how to real labels properly though, so there is always a chance that a child will eat something containing traces of allergens such as snacks with peanuts in them.

Because of the danger of life threatening complications, always have an EpiPen handy. An EpiPen is a large shot of epinephrine, which will stabilize the allergic reaction until medical help can arrive. After administering the epinephrine, call 911 to get immediate professional help for your child.

Author Frank J.Senturi has been researching and reporting on health and wellness for many years. You can get more tips and advice on dealing with allergic reactions as well as on many other related subjects at Healthupdatesonline.com.

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