10 Most Common Food Allergies in Children

Are you one of those lucky parents who has a child or children with food allergies? If you are, you are not alone at all, there are thousands of parents who have to deal with their children having allergies. Knowing which foods cause what is how to get a handle on it. Here is a list of ten of the most common food allergies and their remedies if you realize they're allergic to it.

First and foremost before I go any further you must understand what a food allergy means. According to the International Food Information Council, a food allergy also called food hypersensitivity, is a reactions of the body's immune system to an ingredient in the food. Food allergies can be very serious and should always be diagnosed by a certified allergist.

There are eight specific common allergies to food and those are milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, soy, wheat, fish, as well as shellfish (crabs, lobsters). These very specific food items cause very noticeable allergic reactions. Along with these eight food items, other foods such as fruits and vegetables can give a child a certain reaction.

For example, I am allergic to citric acid. That means I cannot eat, drink, or doing anything with items that have citric in it. If you think about it, that's a lot of different things. If I touch, or drink anything that has citric acid in it, I will get an instant rash and scratch for the remainder of the day. That means, no dish soap with orange scent in it, or shampoo with any kind of fruit, no orange juice in the morning, and not evening a good old vitamin C pill to keep me from getting sick. Can get very annoying at times, however I have lived with it my entire life and have learned to adjust my life to avoid it.

There are many different ways a body can react to a food allergy. Common signs are rashes, hives, stomach problems such as nausea, diarrhea and vomiting, even sneezing, runny nose, as well as shortness of breath can be all common signs of an allergic reaction to some specific food. There are however very specific signs parents need to look for in case their child has a severe allergic reaction called anaphylaxis. If you are not familiar with the word anaphylaxis, and you have children, my advice is to learn about it if your child is prone to being allergic to certain foods such as seafood or peanuts.

Anaphylaxis is a life threatening allergic reaction which consists of signs such as immediate flushing of the face, itching, hives, swelling of the throat which makes it difficult to breath, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, as well as extremely low blood pressure that makes the child pass out. Most of the time anaphylaxis begins immediately after the child has eaten something he/she is allergic to. If you notice any other these symptoms occurring, immediately get your child to a hospital. Do not wait. Once in the hospital, a shot of a drug called epinephrine is given, epinephrine is adrenaline which opens up the air passage when the throat has swollen shut and helps reverse the reaction to the food.

When dealing with a minor allergic reaction to certain foods the best way to deal with them is letting it take it's course. There really is no home remedies to help when you get an allergic reaction to anything. Benadryl can help with itching and watery eyes and runny noses, but the best thing to do when it comes to any allergy is to see a professional who deals with this on a daily basis that could prescribe the medication needed for the reaction.

To learn more about allergy and anaphylaxis shock, please visit the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI) or the The Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network.