Wheat is among the top eight foods that cause allergy. Children are more often affected by wheat allergy however it can occur in adults also. Usually the allergic reactions occur within few minutes or hours after exposure to wheat. Wheat may cause some other reactions apart from allergy also. Few people may have digestive reaction to gluten, a sticky protein present in wheat other grains. This reaction is different from that of wheat allergy and it may be due to gluten intolerance or an allergy to gluten known as gluten sensitive enteropathy or celiac disease.
What are the signs and symptoms of wheat allergy?
The signs and symptoms of allergy to wheat may include skin irritation or hives, swelling of throat or mouth, nasal congestion, Gastrointestinal problems like that of nausea, vomiting, and cramps and airway inflammation.
The allergy symptoms may vary from one person to another. Sometimes allergic reactions happen while exercising following consumption of wheat or from eating inhaled flour in the workplace.
In some cases a severe allergic reaction known as anaphylaxis may occur. It is a life threatening reaction and may require epinephrine shots and emergency care. The reaction may start between seconds to 2 hours following the consumption of wheat. The signs and symptoms include
• Airway constriction and breathing difficulty due to swollen throat
• Shock
• Rapid pulse
• lightheadedness
How is wheat allergy caused?
Immune system (IS) malfunction is the cause for all food allergies. the allergy occurs when the immune system falsely identifies some proteins present in wheat as harmful and reacts to neutralize the allergen or the protein by producing immunoglobulin E. The second and the subsequent occasions when you are exposed to wheat the immunoglobulin will identify the proteins and signal to the IS for the release of histamines and other chemicals.
The histamines and other chemicals cause a series of allergic reactions. Histamine is responsible for several of the allergy symptoms. The four main proteins in wheat that cause allergies are globulin, albumin, gluten and gliadin.
What are the risk factors of wheat allergy?
Family History
If allergies like asthma, hay fever, eczema or hives, are common in among your family members you may have an elevated risk of acquiring an allergy to wheat.
Age
Wheat allergy is more common in children than in adults. When you grow older, your digestive system attains maturity and will not absorb the components that start allergies.
When can you seek medical advice?
You shall make an appointment with your doctor if you experience the allergy symptoms after consumption of wheat. You may have to seek emergency treatment if you experience symptoms of anaphylaxis.
Cow’s milk is among the most common food items that cause allergic reactions
in children and is among the top eight food allergies. Usually allergic
reactions occur after a few minutes or hours following the consumption of milk.
Milk allergy can cause a severe, life-threatening reaction known as anaphylaxis
but it is a very rare occurrence. Usually children with milk allergy outgrow it
by the age of two or three.
Avoiding milk and milk proteins totally is the only possible way for
preventing an allergic reaction. As milk is a common ingredient in foods it is
very difficult for people to avoid it.
In spite of putting in your best efforts you or your kid may still end up
eating products made of milk unknowingly.
Medications like that of antihistamines are helpful in reducing signs
and symptoms of an allergic reaction. Such drugs can be taken following
exposure to milk in order to minimize the effect of an allergic reaction and
provide relief from discomfort.
An emergency injection of epinephrine may be needed in case if you
experience a severe allergic reaction or anaphylaxis. If you are at a risk of
getting anaphylaxis then you should carry an injectable epinephrine wherever
you go.
A number of other milks are available as substitutes for cow’s milk when
cooking or baking. The kind of milk that you should use as a substitute will
depend upon the sort of food you are cooking.
You can use rice milk for drinking and putting on cereal. Rice milk can also
be employed while baking. It can be used as a thickening agent.
In certain recipes broth, juice, or water can be used as a substitute for
the cow’s milk.
In certain cases, the milk allergic person may employ soymilk or goat’s milk
as substitute for cow’s milk. However both of these substitutes are allergenic
too. Actually, people who are allergic to cow’s milk are mostly allergic to
goat’s milk also.
Milk is rich in nutrition and by avoiding it you are posed with a task of
compensating for the nutrients lost. The primary concern is to get enough
calcium for the body. The required daily intake of calcium is dependent on the
individual’s age. Excellent sources of calcium include green vegetables like
that of broccoli, turnip greens, kale and collard greens, sea foods such as
shrimp and oysters and fishes with soft and edible bones like sardines and
salmon.
Vitamin D is very essential for absorption of calcium. Sunlight, liver, and
eggs are good sources of vitamin A.
You can seek for help from a dietician to manage your diet
so that it is nutritionally complete.
Allergy to dogs is quite common because dog allergen may be present in public areas even in daycare facilities. But cat allergy is much more common than dog allergy. This can be attributed to the greater potency of cat dander as an allergen. Moreover cats are not bathed that frequently when compared to dogs. By bathing pets like cats and dogs regularly the allergen release by them can be controlled.
What are the allergens that cause dog allergy?
The most important dog allergen is known as Can f 1. Can f 1 is mainly found in saliva of dogs. In contrast to cat allergen that is present in the dander in the skin, the dog’s skin is not a main source of the allergen. Another protein known as dog albumin, which is found in the blood is also a very important allergen. Dog albumin can cross react with albumin from other mammals such as cats.
How to control the dog allergy symptoms?
The best way of avoiding dog allergy symptoms is to stay away from dogs. The allergy symptoms can be controlled with the aid of allergy medications. However in many cases the symptoms may remain if the individual possesses 1 or more indoor dogs. Allergy shots can be a great option for those who are allergic to their favorite pet dogs.
Even after getting the symptoms of allergy people who own the dog may be reluctant to part with their dogs. Here are certain ways in which you can reduce the exposure to dog allergen without getting rid of your dog.
• Bathe your dog at least 1 or 2 times a week
• Make sure that your dog is sterilized
• Wipe your dog using a wet hand towel or cloth everyday
• Keep your dog in the garage or outside. Don’t keep your dog in carpeted floor inside your home.
• Do not allow your dog into your bedroom. Close the doors and airvents to bedroom.
• You can use a HEPA room air cleaner in your bedroom.
• Frequently vacuum using a vacuum cleaner equipped with HEPA.
• You can follow precautions for avoidance of house dust mite.
If the allergic symptoms are not reduced even after following the above mentioned measures the only possible way is to get rid of the pet dogs.
Dog allergens may remain for a long time ranging from months to years in your home even after getting rid of your dog. Thus a thorough cleaning is necessary.
Non-Allergenic Dog
There is no such dog labeled as a non-allergenic dog. However certain breeds may cause fewer allergies when compared to other breeds. Also some people tend to be allergic to some breeds of dogs and not to others.
Shellfish allergy affects about two percent of persons in the USA. It is among the most common food allergies. It occurs in children but it is more common in adults. Some times even small quantities of shell fish can trigger severe reaction. Shellfish comprises of animals with shells like lobster, shrimp and clams, and also squid and octopus.
What are the signs and symptoms of shellfish allergy?
• Lightheadedness fainting or Dizziness
• Hives, eczema or itching
• Swelling of the face tongue throat and lips
• Tingling in the mouth
• Breathing trouble, nasal congestion or Wheezing
• Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea ad abdominal pain
Shellfish allergy can rarely lead to a severe, life threatening reaction known as anaphylaxis. The symptoms of anaphylaxis are severe and include shock, airway constriction, rapid pulse and loss of consciousness. It is an emergency situation and may need epinephrine shots and emergency care.
A shellfish allergy is different from harmful reaction that occurs due to food poisoning by toxins or bacteria. Such food poisoning is more common and may cause similar signs and symptoms to a shellfish allergy. But this type of food poisoning occurs when you eat contaminated food and does not involve the immune system.
How is shell fish allergy caused?
Like all food allergies the shell fish allergy is also caused due to malfunctioning of the immune system (IS). The immune system may falsely perceive some proteins in shell fish as harmful to our body. So it may trigger antibodies production for neutralizing the allergen. During your subsequent exposures to that protein those antibodies identify them and signal your IS for the release of chemicals including histamine. These chemicals and histamine may cause several undesired reactions in our body. They are responsible for the allergy symptoms.
Shellfish may be of different types and each of them possesses different allergy-causing proteins. Crab, crayfish, shrimp, lobster and prawns come under the group crustaceans.
Bivalves like mussels, oysters, clams, abalone and scallops, gastropods like snails, periwinkles, and limpets and cephalopods like octopus, cuttlefish and squid come under mollusks.
In some cases people may be allergic to a particular type of shell fish and can eat others. In certain cases the person may be allergic to all shellfish and must avoid eating all of them.
What are the risk factors of shellfish allergy?
Age and Gender: People of any age irrespective of gender may develop a shellfish allergy. However, it is common in women and boys.
Heredity: If any type of allergy is common in your family then you have an elevated risk of developing shellfish allergy
Peanut allergy is among the top eight common food allergies and is the most common cause for deaths due to food allergy. It accounts for about 80% of the cases of anaphylactic shocks every year.
What are the signs and symptoms of peanut allergy?
An allergic reaction to peanuts typically occurs within a few minutes following the consumption. Some times the duration may extend to an hour. The symptoms may range from mild reactions to the extreme life threatening condition known as peanut allergy. The usual signs and symptoms of peanut allergy includes
• Tingling or itching in throat and mouth
• Stuffy or runny nose
• Wheezing or difficulty in breathing
• Nausea and vomiting
• Diarrhea, belly cramps and other digestive problems
• Skin problems like hives, swelling or redness
• Tightening of chest
Anaphylaxis may occur soon after peanut consumption. The symptoms of anaphylaxis may include breathing difficulty due to swollen throat, dizziness, shock and rapid pulse.
How is peanut allergy caused?
Peanut allergy is caused due to the immune system’s hypersensitivity to certain proteins present in peanut. it happens when the immune system mistakenly perceives some components in peanuts to be dangerous to the body. Researchers are not sure about why some people are allergic to peanuts and why others are not.
You can be exposed to peanuts in 3 ways
Through Direct Contact
Consumption of peanuts or foods containing peanuts is the most common cause of an allergic reaction. In some cases, an allergic reaction may be triggered by direct skin contact with peanuts.
Through The Air
When you inhale the air or dust or aerosols containing peanuts an allergic reaction may be triggered.
Through Cross Contact
This involves the unintentional introduction of peanuts into a food item. Usually it happens due to exposure to peanuts at the time of handling or processing of food products.
What are the risk factors of peanut allergy?
A few factors can increase person’s chances of acquiring an allergy to peanuts. they are as follows.
Family Factor:
If peanut allergy or any other allergies particularly other food allergies are common among your family members then you may have an increased risk of developing an allergy to peanuts.
History Of Peanut Allergy:
About 1/5th of the children having peanut allergy outgrow it as they grow older. But, there are chances of a re occurrence, even after you might seem to have outgrown the allergy.
When can you seek medical advice?
You can consult your medical practitioner or allergist when you experience the signs and symptoms of peanut allergy. Try to visit your doctor while you are experiencing the symptoms.
You should use epinephrine auto injectors and seek for emergency treatment when you have symptoms of anaphylaxis such as tightness of throat, dizziness etc.