Food Allergies in Children

While most people will no doubt be able to rattle off all the symptoms and triggers of nasal allergies, not many know just exactly what an allergic reaction to a food source can do. The reaction is similar in that a food allergy triggers an immune response within the body to a toxic and foreign object.

To a solid percentage of the population, it's pollen. Fingers will point to that culprit every time, particularly in the spring, but food allergies are on the rise and with devastating consequences if left unmanaged.

Children have a difficult time with food allergies, though only two percent of the population in the United States is diagnosised with food allergies. Generally, food allergies present in children under the age of three, and most are outgrown by that time. However, allergies are a funny thing. Individuals can either outgrow them or grow into them, making food allergies a silent enemy.

Individuals who grow into their allergies will have a more difficult time with them, due to the fact that they seem to evolve as the person ages. This is true with peanut and tree nut allergies. Allergies to such food items will remain with a person for the span of their life, and can cause severe episodes.

Most food allergies are caused by shellfish, milk, fish, soy beans, wheat, eggs, peanuts and certain fruits and vegetables. There is actually a dual exposure effect called cross-reaction, where the body react to a food that has the same protein make up as a plant that they are allergic to. Such cross-reactions are found with birch trees and grass.

If you are allergic to birch, you may find that you have difficulties with apples, pears, carrots, almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, plums and kiwis, because each of these food items has the same protein within them as birch. However, individuals find they are able to eat the foods after they have been properly cooked, as the cooking process dismantles the protein.

Such allergic reactions as cross-reactions generally have an oral allergy reaction. An oral allergy reaction is simply a reaction within the oral cavity upon ingestion, and consists of itching, swollen tongue, cheeks and itchy sinus passages. It can be avoided by taking Benadryll prior to eating the food items, or not eating the food items at all. The symptoms are non-life threatening (in this case), as they are mild and disappear within minutes of exposure. Some reactions though can last an hour or two.

The best way to determine if you or a member of your family has food allergies is to get a skin prick test from your allergist. This test will definitively tell you whether you have allergies or not. The test will cover multiple allergens, including food, tree, plant, grass, mold, mildew and bacterias to ensure you receive a solid understanding of the allergic reactions your body is having.

There is also the RAST blood test that can be performed to help determine just which allergens are after your system.

Food allergies, though, tend to be hereditary. If there is a family member with any sort of allergy, whether it is just food, or multiple allergies, chances are good that your children will develop allergies. It is best to keep an eye on them, if you know that your family has a strong allergy history.

But don't fret about sending your child to school with food allergies. Most schools are happy to accommodate students who suffer from allergies, providing alternate meals for them to ensure that they remain healthy and reaction free. Parents need to alert schools if their children have allergies, so that they can prepare. It is also advisable to keep allergy medicine with the schools, in case your child does have a reaction.