A food allergy can be terrifying at times. A minor reaction can involve itching, swelling, and stomach-ache. But sometimes even with a mild one, at some point you may experience a severe reaction ie. ‘Anaphylaxis’ – which is a state of shock, defined as a reaction involving two of the body’s organs. It is characterized by symptoms like wheezing, dizziness, and vomiting. The pulse can slow, blood pressure can drop, and the airways can close. In an alarming number of people in the last few years, it has been fatal.
A food allergy is when the body’s immune system reacts upon any specific food. It could be mild, moderate, or severe. Symptoms of allergic reactions could appear within few minutes to several hours after eating the food to which body is allergic. Although symptoms of an allergic reactions may vary from one individual to another, the commonest symptoms are, hives (reddish or swollen patches on skin), Diarrhea, rashes on skin, stomachache, vomiting, runny nose and so on. Allergic reactions can also appear life threatening. Severe allergic reactions may also be seen as low blood pressure, difficulty in swallowing, swelling of lips, loss of consciousness, low pulse rate.
In India, food allergy is estimated around 3-4% of population, but it is more prevalent in children as compared to adults. Food allergies are treatable only by eliminating the allergic food and its products from the diet. It is very important for a physician to know whether a person gets an allergic reaction repeatedly after eating a particular food or its product. At the same time, self-analysis to recognize the appearance of any allergic reactions helps in planning a good line of treatment. If unable to detect/ diagnose through a medical history of the patient, then an allergist may ask to conduct few diagnostic tests, which help in identifying the food allergy. These tests may include few blood tests, skin prick test or an oral food challenge.
Elimination Diet is also commonly practiced by Physicians with the help of registered Dietitians. People are asked to eliminate the food and food products which cause allergic reactions. It is done on a trial-and-error basis. Most of the times avoiding the culprit food and its products solves the problem at the symptomatic level. Also, in few people it is seen that elimination of culprit food and its products only for certain period gives a lot of symptomatic relief, and once they are stable, reintroducing those food and its products can be tolerated.
In cases where in Elimination Diet fails, medical intervention must be considered after consulting a Physician or an Allergist. Steroid Therapy or Antihistamines are prescribed by practicing doctors. It is always said that precaution and prevention is always better than cure. But unfortunately, there are no preventive measures to avoid food allergy.
Many-a-times it is seen that people do not understand the difference between a food aversion and an allergy. For instance, one may not like milk or has an aversion towards Milk and hence may consider it as being “allergic”; but they may consume Curd, Paneer or Buttermilk that they like. In this instance, person has an aversion towards Milk not that he/she is allergic to it. As allergic reaction develops not only with food but also with its products. One must understand this carefully.
Now-a-days, Gluten allergies are one of the commonest topics of discussion. Gluten is a component found in Wheat, Rye, and Barley. Gluten intolerance is seen amongst few people due to deficiency of an enzyme which helps in the digestion Gluten. These patients develop severe stomachache, vomiting or Diarrhea after eating foods which contains Gluten. This condition is also named as “Celiac Disease”. In Celiac Disease, the patient can’t tolerate anything made up of Wheat, Rye, and Barley. Medical Nutrition Therapy plays a very vital role in treating Celiac Disease. These patients are advised a Gluten –Free Diet by registered Dietitians. In short, it is important to diagnose the allergy and then address it to avoid any kind of mild or fatal consequence. Speak to your healthcare provider if you often experience any food allergies.
The author is a clinical nutritionist, Fortis Hospital Mulund