phone -- (toll-free) 800.929.4040, Food Allergy Network
Every year, thousands of parents learn of their children's food allergies after a severe allergic reaction dangerously affects the respiratory system, the gastrointestinal tract, skin or cardiovascular system. A food allergy can cause anaphylaxis, a term that refers to a group of symptoms. These symptoms range from a tingling sensation in the mouth, swelling of the tongue and the throat, sneezing, difficulty breathing, hives, vomiting, abdominal cramps, diarrhea, drop in blood pressure, loss of consciousness or even death.
Peanuts are the leading cause of severe allergic reactions, followed by shellfish, fish, tree nuts and eggs. Add milk, soy and wheat, and you have the eight foods that account for 90 percent of allergic reactions. That's according to the Food Allergy Network, a group dedicated to increasing public awareness about food allergies and anaphylaxis, to provide education and advance research on behalf of all those affected by food allergies.
Donna Milos, LPN, a food allergy nurse at St. Louis Children's Hospital and member of the network's advisory council, says that in the case of food allergies, the immune system misinterprets a food as a harmful invader and releases histamine and other chemicals to protect the body. These chemicals trigger the allergic symptoms. "For people with a food allergy, complete avoidance is the only way to prevent a reaction."
But that can be tricky. Milos says parents must become experts at reading labels for all foods. Peanuts, soy, wheat and eggs are common ingredients of many packaged foods. "If a product doesn't have a label, people with food allergies should not eat that food," Milos says. "One bite is too much for some people."
The good news is that most children with food allergies to milk, soy, egg and wheat will lose their sensitivity as they grow. About 2 percent of people carry their food allergies into adulthood. In anaphylaxis, epinephrine, also called adrenaline, is the medicine of choice for controlling reactions. It is available by prescription.
Note: Avoid giving your child any peanut products for the first three years of life if there is a history of any type of allergy in your family.
The Big Eight
The eight foods that cause 90 percent of food allergies:
- Peanuts
- Shellfish
- Fish
- Tree nuts (walnuts, pecans, pistachios, Brazil nuts, cashews, almonds and coconut)
- Eggs
- Milk
- Soy
- Wheat