What Is a Food Allergy?
A food allergy reaction happens when the immune system attacks a food protein that it mistakes as a threat to the body. Symptoms may include itching or swelling of the mouth, throat, face or skin; trouble breathing; and stomach pain, diarrhea, nausea or vomiting. A severe food allergy can be life threatening.
To confirm a food allergy and avoid unnecessary diet restrictions, a diagnosis should be made by a doctor. You should not diagnose yourself or your child with a food allergy. The only way to prevent a food allergy reaction is to completely avoid the food and any product that may contain it as an ingredient.
Food intolerance does not trigger the immune system and is not life threatening or the same as a food allergy, although it may share similar symptoms. For example, a child with a milk allergy must avoid all milk products, while a child who is lactose intolerant (lacking the enzyme to break down natural sugars in milk), but not allergic, may be able to eat small amounts of dairy.
Common Allergens
The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases reports that five percent of children in the U.S. have a food allergy. The most common food allergies in children are milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, soy and wheat. These foods, along with fish and shellfish, account for 90 percent of all food allergy reactions (among children and adults). While your child may outgrow milk, egg or soy allergies, food allergies to peanuts, tree nuts, fish and shellfish tend to be lifelong.
Tips for Reducing a Child's Risk of Developing Food Allergies
Take special care with feeding practices during your child's first years, especially if a biological parent or sibling has been diagnosed with an allergic disease. While following these feeding tips cannot guarantee a child will not develop a food allergy, it may help reduce the risk.
Exclusive breast-feeding for six months decreases the incidence of atopic dermatitis, cow's milk allergy and wheezing in early life when compared with feeding infants cow's milk-based formula. The use of soy-based infant formula does not appear to play a role in allergy prevention.
Keeping Your Child Healthy and Safe
Once your pediatrician or allergist has tested and confirmed food allergies, you need to be diligent about avoiding the food(s). Always read food labels and if you are unsure of an ingredient, call the manufacturer for details. Educate family, caregivers and teachers about your child's allergies.
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Article posted on the website of academy of nutrition and dietetics
www.eatright.org
Reducing Risk of Food Allergy
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