What are the symptoms of allergic reactions to food
The allergic reaction to a food is a type of immune responsethat the organism triggers when a food that causes this reaction is consumed, mainly because these foods have a high content of allergens.
It is what usually happens and especially with foods such as seafood, eggs, milk, nuts such as peanuts or nuts and any other specific type.
In fact, any food can cause the triggering of an allergic reaction. It is enough that our immune system identifies it as a foreign substance to understand that it must protect the body, causing the symptoms that usually occur when you have an allergy to a certain food.
What symptoms produces food allergy?
The most common symptoms or signs are the following:
- Respiratory symptoms:Nasal congestion, runny nose, asthma or shortness of breath, sneezing and wheezing. Other respiratory disorders may also arise.
- Gastrointestinal symptoms:Diarrhea, colic and abdominal pain, abdominal swelling, nausea and vomiting.
- Cutaneous symptoms (skin):Hives, redness of the skin or rashes, pruritus (itching), eczema, inflammation of the lips, tongue, mouth, throat and / or face.
In more serious cases there may also be systemic symptoms, as for example is the case of anaphylactic shock, which consists of a severe generalized shock that if not treated quickly can cause death. Symptoms that accompany anaphylactic shock include headache, breath sounds, agitation and mental confusion, difficulty breathing, dizziness and increased sweating.
What to do in case of allergic reaction to a food?
If symptoms related to an allergic reaction occur after eating a certain food, it is advisable to go quickly to the emergency room. Most likely, most symptoms do not require any treatment, disappearing in a short time. In this sense, for example, antihistamines are the drugs of choice in these cases, since they can alleviate the discomfort caused by the allergic reaction.
Special attention must be paid to the most serious reactions or when the symptoms appear in the whole body (as for example it could be the case of urticaria), since it is required to go to the emergency room more quickly to apply the appropriate medical treatment more quickly.
However, if you suspect that you may be suffering from a certain allergy to a food the most advisable is go to the allergist, who is the allergy specialist, who could diagnose or not the possible existence of a food allergy.
Why is food allergy produced?
The immune response of our body protects the body against substances that are actually potentially and highly harmful, as for example could be the case of viruses or bacteria. Thus, when an element of this type enters the body and begins to multiply, the immune system is activated and causes a series of symptoms and substances in order to fight against the infection.
The same happens when the immune system is confronted with foreign substances, known by the name of allergens. However, these substances are usually harmless, which means that they do not cause problems or problems in most people.
However, when you have an allergy to a certain allergen present in a food, the response of the immune system becomes hypersensitive, which means that just at the moment in which the organism recognizes the presence of said allergen, its response is triggered by releasing histamines, which are the main "culprits" of the allergy symptoms.
Images | Istockphoto This article is published for informational purposes only. You can not and should not replace the consultation with a Nutritionist. We advise you to consult your trusted Nutritionist. ThemesFood allergies
