FOOD ALLERGY

 Have you ever offered someone food and they rejected it?

Did you ask why he/she rejected it and the reply you got was; “I will purge”, “My skin itches when I eat …..”, “I am allergic to …..”

You must have found that statement weird like I did when I offered a friend to eat peanuts with me. At first, I thought he was joking or probably just didn’t want to eat, so I pestered him to do so but to my surprise he refused. He kept telling me he is allergic to peanuts but I had to stop pestering him because I could not force him to eat them because he is quite stronger than me.

For the record, I did not believe he was telling the truth about being allergic to peanuts until I found out the hard way.

The following week I bought a carton of the cabin biscuit that is mostly shared during birthdays in primary school and plan to grind a few peanuts and add them to the biscuit crumbs. After we ate the whole biscuit, I added the ground peanuts to the biscuit crumbs secretly and shared it with him which he ate without hesitation.

After about 15 minutes he started to scratch his hands. At first, I ignored him thinking it is probably an insect bite until he started scratching his whole body, that was when I knew I had made a very big mistake. To cut the story short, we had to take him to the school health center where he was given some injections before the itching subsides. I was really scared but thank God by the next day the itching was all gone.

Moral Lesson: FOOD ALLERGY IS REAL, RESPECT IT.

Let’s take a few minutes to update our knowledge on what food allergy is, its symptoms, causes, and prevention.

What is Food Allergy?

When some certain foods are consumed and you always feel uncomfortable after consuming them, or you notice some abnormal and unpleasant changes in your body system [mostly physical]. This is called Food Allergy.

The rate at which food allergy affects individuals is increasing daily with about eight percent {8%} of children under 5 years and up to four percent {4%} of adults affected. Some outgrow their allergy {ies} as they age while others live with it for life when they seem to find no cure to it. Some of the foods that people often get allergic to include; egg, milk, peanuts, soy, tree nut, wheat, etc. Thus, excessive consumption or total consumption of these foods is avoided.

Causes of Food Allergies

The factors that lead to food allergy in the body vary based on the different situations. Food Allergies majorly occur when the immune system wrongfully identifies some proteins in food as harmful thereby launching a series of protective measures in the body. Not only that, there are some asthmatic patients who also experience food allergies due to their [asthmatic] condition.

Symptoms of Food Allergy

There are some perceived changes in some functions of appearance that indicate the presence of food allergy. This usually develops a few minutes after consumption of a particular food or sometimes a few days after, depending on the type of allergy. The symptoms include;

 

§  diarrhea

§  vomiting,

§  dizziness

§  nasal congestion

§  swelling of lips

§  eczema

§  trouble breathing

§  Fainting etc.

The prominent symptoms of food allergy include

§  itching rash

§  watery eyes

§  Running and stuffy nose.

These symptoms make people easily notice our fitness.

 

Foods that cause food allergies

The consumption of some food can lead to/ trigger food allergies.  This reaction starts when the immune system overreacts to the digestion of the intake of protein in the body. These foods include. bread, milk, soy, peanuts, tree nut, fish, wheat, shellfish, etc.

How to Diagnose Food Allergy?

There is no particular way a doctor can diagnose food allergies. However, we can know it through some of the signs and symptoms. This is why it is essential to be attentive to how our body reacts to each meal we take. If you suspect an allergy, consult a doctor or a registered dietician to help you safely avoid the foods you are allergic to without missing out on your body’s nutritional needs.

How To Prevent Food Allergy?

The notation that we can prevent food allergy is high, however, getting a cure for it is low. The best way to prevent food allergy is the complete removal of the food from your diet. In the case of manufactured foods, you can check the ingredients of the products, and if it contains any of the food you are allergic to, you need to stop taking such product.

A patient with food allergies needs to stop self-medication. This can lead to complications of food allergy. This is why you should see your doctor. He may have drugs to prescribe to you.

 

Conclusion

Food allergies are kinds of food that may react to the body after consumption. Someone with a food allergy needs to identify the kind of food that usually reacts to his or her body and stop eating it. It will help him or her because the situation will not be complex. After the identification, the person should also see the doctor or dietician because he or she has the best advice. The best way to treat food allergies is the complete removal of the food from your diet.

cc: Tijani Success; Intern writer

Watch out for the next post where we'll talk about the other ways to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

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