Food Allergy Cause
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When the immune system
suddenly has an abnormal response to a certain food, it usually shows
that allergy takes place because of an allergen. Subsequently the
organism releases chemicals to fight it off causing symptoms that can
range from a simple irritability to fatal reaction.
Food allergy is a reaction made by the immune system that produces
antibodies because of the presence of certain chemicals or ingredients.
Although people think they suffer of this, there are only a few who
really have reactions to food. The mistake is that food allergy and food
intolerance both are taken the same way. Both are sensitivity reactions
to food, but intolerance does not imply the immune system’s response
and isn’t really a life threatening incident.
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For now, there is no cure to
food allergy. The only way is prevention through diet modifications to avoid
ingesting the allergens.
Whenever a patient is exposed
to the allergen, the immune system releases antibodies, specifically
immunoglobulin E, which causes the production of chemicals like histamine in
the process of “protecting” the body.
These chemicals are the root cause of symptoms, which may include an
irritation in the eyes, green stuff, throat, lungs, and the gastrointestinal
organs.
Each case is different but
eight major types of foods have been observed as causing issues: fish, soy,
milk, wheat, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, and shellfish.
Sometimes, certain allergies
may cause attacks with other foods of the same type: this is known as cross
- reaction. For example, Allergy to pollens subsequently causes an allergy
to unripe apples, hazelnuts, almonds, and peaches. Or goat’s milk allergy
may also be associated with a reaction to cow’s milk.
People with asthma and / or
eczema have been observed as more being at risk of developing a food allergy
with most of the time reactions that are more severe. This is due to the
stress created by the attack, which wakes asthma and / or eczema up and
therefore will aggravate the situation.
But the intensity of the
reaction mainly depends on the individual’s sensitivity to the food
allergen and the quantity ingested.
The best to avoid food
allergy attacks is self - discipline and vigilance. Some medications are
available to reduce symptoms. For a better understanding and real medical
recommendations, the best is to consult a physician.
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