Prevalence of Food Allergies
Food Allergy Research and Education (FARE) has established that more than 32 million people in the US are victims of food allergy. Almost 8% of children with a food allergy are less than 5 years old and overall 4% of adults suffer from food allergies. Research conducted by NIH shows that more than 3.24% people in France have different types of food allergies. The study also shows that there is an increasing risk of food allergies in the upcoming decade (G Kanny, et. al., 2001).
The numbers are significant and so are the effects of food allergies. Statistics show that more than 100,000 people every year show up in the emergency units of hospitals with food allergies that could be fatal without medical intervention.
Another study conducted shows a date of self-reported allergies in the whole Europe with a prevalence of 0.1% to 0.6% of commonly consumed foods. Knowing the prevalence of food allergy makes it easier to understand the probability among the patients and helps easily rule out other uncommon diagnoses related to the symptoms presented by the patients.
Most Common Types of Food Allergies
There are a number of food allergies that are observed in patients from different areas of the world. Interestingly, even though food allergies are based on your body’s response to a protein, not everyone has the same allergy type and not everyone suffers from the same level of allergy intensity. It is quite possible a healthy mother would have a child with peanut allergies.
Even a very tiny piece of food that you are allergic to, can make health worse. Below are listed the most common types of food allergies:
Milk: Cow’s milk is the most common milk source that causes allergy. It is very common among childhood allergies. Toddlers often have more severe reactions, displaying all symptoms of an allergic reaction including vomiting. The symptoms of this allergen are usually gut-related. For this reason, pediatricians often recommend formula milk to keep up the child’s nourishment despite the allergic condition. Allergy from milk also directly means that the individual would have an allergy to cheese, yogurt, butter, margarine, cream and ice cream too.
Eggs: It is a very common allergy again in both the children and the adults. The associated symptoms can be both respiratory as well as digestive. Some people are more allergic to the egg white portion than egg yolk and vice versa. The egg proteins are the cause of allergy and these proteins sometimes get denatured when cooked or baked, so egg sourced foods like cakes might not necessarily be because of allergy.
Peanuts and Tree-Nuts: Besides peanut, here are different types of tree-nuts that can induce allergies like almonds, cashews, brazil nuts, macadamia nuts, and even walnuts. If someone has a known allergy to any one or two types of tree nuts, they are usually advised to avoid consuming any type of tree nuts.
Shellfish: Another very common type of allergy observed in people who consume food from crustaceans and mollusks. The protein in this food is not friendly with the body, triggering an allergic reaction.
Wheat: Wheat can induce both immunoglobulin IgE-mediated as well as non-IgE-mediated food allergies. The IgE-mediated allergies include food allergy manifested as angioedema, nausea, abdominal pain, anaphylaxis including wheat dependent exercise-induced anaphylaxis, respiratory allergy as well as skin allergy. The non-IgE-mediated ones include gastro-intestinal and non-celiac gluten sensitivity.
Causes and Symptoms
Food allergy is caused by a specific protein found in the foods. Usually a certain protein in the food is not welcomed by the patient’s body, generating a severe immune reaction. The body analyzes that protein as a foreign particle or antigen and attacks it with the help of immune cells. Allergic reactions are mediated by IgE type immune response. The IgE antibodies are formed on the exposure of this food containing protein. The next time this food is consumed, the antibodies attack the protein and generate the immune response.
The most common signs and symptoms associated with food allergies are feeling itchy in the mouth. Sometimes redness and irritation is also experienced in or around the mouth after consuming the food. Digestive symptoms further include bouts of nausea and vomiting. Abdominal pain and episodic diarrhea may also be observed. Swelling of lips, tongue, and other parts of the body, and eczema, rashes and hives are very common signs of developing an allergy. Anaphylaxis is usually triggered only when the allergic reaction is very severe. This calls for an emergency situation and urgent medical attention. The symptoms of anaphylaxis include airway constriction, difficulty in breathing, pulse and blood pressure drop, lightheadedness and fainting.
Treatment and Prevention
For minor allergies, physicians often prescribe antihistamines for the treatment and prevention of allergic reactions so that any allergic response can be moderated. If an allergy causing food is consumed, these medicines can ameliorate the symptoms of hives and itching. However, for severe allergy forms, epinephrine injections are the only medications that help. These are autoinjectors that patients can learn to administer and manage severe attacks before reaching the hospital.
Importance of Right Diagnosis in Food Allergies
Misdiagnosis can sometimes exaggerate the current situation of the patient and being given incorrect therapy can cause more harm than any good. For this reason, making a right diagnosis is particularly important when it comes to allergies. Physicians should be able to tell the patient about the exact allergen. Apart from the traditional skin patch test and blood tests, a new technology NOVEOS is the best choice for lab experts and physicians so far. You would be able to detect the allergen smoothly and would not have to worry about the result accuracy. Isn’t that what you want for the best interest of your patient? Get NOVEOS technology today to pinpoint your true allergy triggers!
Available NOVEOS Allergens / Most Common Food Mixes
FX05 Food Mix (F001, F002, F003, F004, F013, F014)
FX24 Food Mix 24 (F017, F024, F084, F092)
FX25 Food Mix 25 (F010, F045, F047, F085)
FX26 Food Mix 26 (F001, F002, F013, F089)
FX27 Food Mix 27 (F003, F004, F014, F017)
FX28 Food Mix 28 (F010, F024, F027, F084)
FX77 Food Mix 77 (F010, F017, F025, F084, F202)
FX02 Seafood Mix (F003, F024, F037, F040, F041)
FX99 Food Tree Nut Mix (F017, F020, F201, F202, F203, F256)
NOVEOS Allergen Menu List, Specific IgE and Total IgE:
Download the latest product list of NOVEOS® Specific IgE Allergens and Total IgE, NOVEOS Assay Reagents, Consumables, and Supplies in the following languages:
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