Food Allergies Treatment

Symptoms and Home Remedies for Food Allergy Treatment

Either food allergy or food intolerance affects nearly everyone at some point. When people have an unpleasant reaction to something they ate, they often think that they have an allergy to the food. Actually, however, only up to 3% of adults and 6%-8% of children have clinically proven true allergic reactions to food.

This difference between the prevalence of clinically proven food allergy and the public's perception of the problem is due primarily to misinterpreting food intolerance or other adverse food reactions to food as food allergy. A true food allergy is an abnormal response to food that is triggered by a specific reaction in the immune system and expressed by certain, often characteristic, symptoms.

Other kinds of reactions to foods that are not food allergies include food intolerances (such as lactose or milk intolerance), food poisoning, and toxic reactions. Food intolerance also is an abnormal response to food, and its symptoms can resemble those of food allergy. Food intolerance, however, is far more prevalent, occurs in a variety of diseases, and is triggered by several different mechanisms that are distinct from the immunological reaction responsible for food allergy. People who have food allergies must identify and prevent them because, although usually mild and not severe, these reactions can cause devastating illness and, in rare instances, can be fatal.

Symptoms and Signs of Food Allergy:

The complex process of digestion affects the timing, location, and particular symptoms of an allergic reaction to food. All of the symptoms of food allergy occur within a few minutes to an hour of eating. A food allergy can initially be experienced as an itching in the mouth and difficulty swallowing and breathing. Then, during digestion of the food in the stomach and intestines, symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain can start. Incidentally, the gastrointestinal symptoms of food allergy are those that are most often confused with the symptoms of different types of food intolerance.

As mentioned previously, the allergens are absorbed and enter the bloodstream. When they reach the skin, allergens can induce hives or eczema, and when they reach the airways, they can cause asthma. As the allergens travel through the blood vessels, they can cause lightheadedness, weakness, and anaphylaxis, which is a sudden drop in blood pressure. Anaphylactic reactions are severe even when they start off with mild symptoms, such as a tingling in the mouth and throat or discomfort in the abdomen. They can be fatal if not treated quickly.

Do infants and children have problems with food allergy?

Most allergies to foods begin in the first or second year of life. While some of these reactions may resolve over time (such as allergies to cow's milk or eggs), other food allergies acquired in infancy (such as allergies to nuts or shellfish) typically persist throughout life. Allergies to milk or soy formula (a milk substitute made from soybeans) sometimes occur in infants and young children. These early allergies sometimes do not involve the usual hives or asthma but rather can cause symptoms resembling infantile colic, and perhaps blood in the stool, or poor growth.

Breastfeeding: Exclusive breastfeeding, that is, excluding all other foods, for at least the first four months of life appears to help protect high-risk children against milk allergy and eczema in the first two years of life. Breast milk contains less protein that is foreign to the infant and, therefore, is less allergenic than cow's milk or soy formula.

Exclusive breastfeeding should be a consideration, therefore, especially in infants who are predisposed to food allergy. Some children are so sensitive to a certain food, however, that if the mother eats that food, sufficient quantities enter the breast milk to cause a reaction to the food in the child. In this situation, the mothers themselves must avoid eating those foods to which the baby is allergic. No conclusive evidence has been obtained that suggests that breastfeeding prevents the development of allergies later in life.

Special considerations in children: An allergic child who itches, sneezes, and wheezes a lot can feel miserable and, therefore, sometimes misbehave or appear hyperactive. At the other extreme, children who are on antiallergy medicines that can cause drowsiness may become sleepy in school or at home. Parents and caregivers must understand these different behaviors, protect the children from the foods that induce their allergies and know how to manage an allergic reaction, including how to administer epinephrine. Also, schools need to have plans in place to address emergencies, including anaphylactic shock.

Allergies Home Remedies:

Allergies treatment using Nutrients

Certain nutrients have been found beneficial in the prevention and treatment of allergies. Often the intake of vitamin B5 or pantothenic acid brings great relief to the sufferer. This vitamin may be taken in a dose of 100 mg daily for a month. In such cases, liberal amounts of pantothenic acid helps even though the recovery takes several weeks. A dose of 400 mg of vitamin E taken daily for four to six weeks is also beneficial as this vitamin possesses effective anti-allergic properties.

Allergies treatment using Castor Oil

It is found that five drops of castor oil in half a cup of any fruit or vegetable juice, or plain water, and taken on an empty stomach in the morning, is beneficial for allergies of the intestinal tract, skin, and nasal passages.

Find powerful herbal remedies Calcium Supplements

Allergies treatment using Lime

Lime is considered an effective remedy for any kind of allergy. Half a lime may be squeezed in a glass of lukewarm water and sweetened with a teaspoon of honey. It can be taken once daily first thing in the morning for several months. This remedy not only flushes the system of toxins but also acts as an antitoxic and antiallergic agent. However, those who are allergic to citrus fruits should not take recourse to this remedy.

Allergies treatment using Bananas

One or two bananas a day are useful for those who are allergic to certain foods and who consequently suffer from skin rashes, digestive disorders, or asthma, The fruit does, however, cause allergic reactions in certain sensitive persons and they should avoid it.

Allergies treatment using Vegetable Juices

A quantity of 500 ml carrot juice or a combination of carrot juice with beet and cucumber juices, has been found beneficial in the treatment of allergies. In the case of mixed juices, 100 ml each of beet and cucumber juices should be mixed with 300 ml of carrot juice to prepare 500 ml or half a litre of mixed juice. This should be taken once daily.

Also read about Food only Causes Allergy

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