Food Allergies and Intolerances

Food Allergies and Food Intolerances can be troublesome and could make life difficult. Also, in severe cases it could be life threatening. However, these could be managed in an effective way causing less impact on your daily life.

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN FOOD ALLERGY AND FOOD INTOLERANCE:

Food Allergy and Food intolerance can cause the same signs and symptoms leading to a confusion between the two. Food allergy is cause due to the reaction of your immune system to any food. It can cause a range of symptoms such as itchiness, rashes and swelling within two hours of food consumption. In severe cases, food allergy could also lead to a life-threatening allergic reaction known as anaphylaxis.

Food intolerance does not involve the immune system and the symptoms are generally less serious and often limited to digestive disorders. Food intolerance symptoms are not life threatening and can be managed through steps that aid digestion of certain foods thereby preventing a reaction

FOOD ALLERGIES:

Food allergy occurs when the body’s immune system reacts abnormally to certain foods by mistakenly identifying them as harmful to the body. As a result, antibodies are produced in the body to neutralize the effect caused by the food substance which in turn causes the release of defensive chemicals such as histamine into the blood stream. These chemicals could cause a range of allergic symptoms affecting the respiratory system, digestive system, cardiovascular system or skin.

WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF FOOD ALLERGY?

MILD TO MODERATE

Swelling of lips, face, eyes
Hives or welts
Tingling mouth, abdominal pain, Vomiting

SEVERE

Difficulty or noisy breathing
Swelling of tongue
Swelling or tightness in throat
Difficulty talking or hoarse voice
Wheeze or persistent cough
Loss of consciousness or collapse
Pale and Floppy (young children)

In some severe cases, food allergy can lead to a life-threatening allergic reaction called anaphylaxis. Anaphylaxis occurs due to the over release of the chemicals and the symptoms could range from difficulty breathing, loss of consciousness, wheezing and even cardiac arrest. For emergency usage, it is advised for people at risk of anaphylaxis to carry self-injectable epinephrine.

WHAT ARE THE MOST COMMON FOOD ALLERGENS?

The eight most common food allergens are:

Shellfish
Eggs
Fish
Milk
Peanuts (ie. cashew, almond, walnut)
Soybeans
Tree nuts
Sesame seeds

These allergens, as well as gluten (from wheat, rye, barley, oats and their products) and sulphites (which are added to food as a preservative), are required by law to be declared on food labels or, where foods are exempt from labelling, the information must be provided on demand.

FOOD INTOLERANCES

Food Intolerance is different from food allergy and it does not trigger the immune system. It is also known as non-allergic hypersensitivity which refers to difficulty in digesting certain foods.

WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF FOOD INTOLERANCE?

Stomach ache & irritable bowel
Bloating
Headaches and migraines
Cough, wheezing & a runny nose
Hives
Feeling under the weather

WHAT ARE THE MOST COMMON FOOD INTOLERANCES?

There are different types of food that causes food intolerance, the most common of which are:

Milk and lactose (the sugar in milk), gluten, wheat, food preservatives, and naturally occurring compounds in food such as caffeine, salicylates, amines and glutamate.
Lactose intolerance is caused by a shortage of the enzyme lactase, which is used to ensure lactose is absorbed properly into the bloodstream from the stomach.
Milk intolerance is common in children under the age of two years. If left untreated it can result in malnutrition.
Food additive intolerance only affects a very small number of children and adults. The additives most commonly linked to food intolerance are artificial colours, eg tartrazine and preservatives such as sulphites and benzoates.