Allergy

What Happens When Food Allergies Attack?

All of us have heard of Food Allergies, but when kids are very small it’s hard to tell if their having a reaction to a certain food, don’t like it, or are just being kids.

If a person has a food allergy, antibodies within the human body actually think the food is something very harmful. Once the body detects the ‘unwanted’ food, it releases chemicals into the bloodstream to ward off these perceived threats.

A child with a food allergy will likely exhibit signs of a runny nose or some itchy skin (like a rash or hives). More extreme symptoms include coughing, nausea, vomiting, severe stomach pain and difficulty breathing. While most food allergies are minor, some are extremely dangerous as they combine all symptoms into one massive problem as blood pressure drops, the tongue will swell and in many cases the breathing tube actually narrows.

Many food allergies can be detected at home, but oftentimes it’s tough to diagnose what the problem food actually is. Specialists in this area are equipped to determine what the real problems might be. These doctors usually do a skin test, in which a liquid extract of the suspected problem food is applied to the skin of the patient. If a reaction is found, then an allergy to that food is present. In more difficult cases, doctors often send blood samples to other labs for additional testing.

The good news about food allergies for kids is that with time, many of the allergies are overcome as the body simply grows out of them. Life-long food allergies are usually associated with peanuts and some types of fish.

The Best Blogs for Parents of Allergy Kids

gluten free and dairy free ranch dressing

Image by elana’s pantry via Flickr

Whether the allergy is cow’s milk or peanuts, it isn’t always easy to deal with cooking around food allergies. But, what if you didn’t have to? What if the recipes you put together didn’t feel as if you were missing anything? What if they were actually—good? What if you actually discovered an easy way to deal with food allergies away from home?

The cream of the crop, without the cream, is here. Take a look at the best blogs on cooking for allergy kids, on the planet.

“Cooking for Aussie Kids who have Food Allergies” is a great blog for parents of children with allergies to dairy, egg, wheat, and peanuts; many meal ideas provided that kids will actually eat, from snacks to fish!
Get the best “Lunch Box” ideas for kids taking their meal to school. General food allergy links are provided along with lunchbox ideas and products that you can’t help but want to bag up.
This fantastic “Gluten Free Cooking Blog” gives endless advice on eating gluten free at home and away from it. Learn how to best travel, what to do if you or a member of your family has been recently diagnosed; find out how to use herbs and spices in your cooking, even how to make a treat or two gluten free.

Having allergy kids doesn’t have to be a headache with all of the avenues of choice on the Internet. Take a few moments to peruse these great sites, and feel to do some shopping of your own.

Filed Under: Tips & Tricks Tagged With: Allergy, Cooking, Food, Food allergy

Children and Food Allergies

Food allergies in children can occur at any age. Some may develop suddenly and cause serious health concerns that require immediate medical attention, while others may only cause slight symptoms. Children can be allergic to a wide variety of foods, but there are a few that tend to cause more allergic reactions then others.

Eggs and milk are two food items that children are often allergic to, but luckily most will outgrow these allergies. Eggs tend to cause allergic reactions in children that are sensitive to the protein that the egg naturally contains. Although children that show allergies to eggs normally outgrow the condition, research has shown that these children may be more prone to developing asthma as they get older. The protein in milk is also often times the culprit when a child displays allergic reactions to the dairy product. Milk also contains whey, which can cause an allergic reaction in some children.

One of the more severe types of food allergies in children comes from a peanut allergy. This allergy can be quite serious and needs to be monitored closely. The protein in peanuts can cause the body’s immune system to backfire. The allergic child may have severe symptoms such as being very short of breath due to swelling of the throat or tongue. Peanut allergies are not usually outgrown. A child with a severe peanut allergy must be closely monitored to be sure they don’t consume not only whole peanuts, but any products that contain peanuts or peanut oil. Many foods use ground peanuts as an ingredient, so labels will need to be read in their entirety before giving the child a new food.

Another serious food allergy in children is one to seafood. This allergy can cause very dangerous symptoms, similar to those of peanut allergies. Most children that have a seafood allergy are allergic to all types of seafood, including shellfish and other salt water fish, but some may be able to tolerate one or the other with no negative side effects.

Filed Under: Nutrition Tagged With: Allergy, Child, Food

Your Child and Allergies

Perhaps you go out with your friend on a stroll down the park and he gets stung by a bee. In a matter of seconds, hives appear all over his body and you are confused as to what to do next. What you have just witnessed is known in medical parlance as an allergic reaction. Our bodies behave in ways that are awesome and intricate at the same time. All over the world, millions of people suffer from one allergy or the other.

The interesting thing with allergy is that you may not know that are even allergic to something until you are exposed to the substance. A substance that can trigger an allergic reaction is known as an allergen. Allergens are numerous and diverse in nature, they range from pollen grain to animal droppings.

Some other forms of allergies are more bizarre, like being allergic to common substances like water. Luckily, such types of allergies are exceedingly rare. As a parent, you have to watch out for clear-cut signs of an allergic reaction in your child. The signs may include wheezing, sweating and redness. Allergic reactions are easy to detect as they are triggered almost immediately after exposure to the allergen or irritating substance. It is also possible that your child can be allergic to certain kinds of food. Thus, instead of brushing off the child as being too picky and selective about food, you may do well by finding out if there is any link with an allergic reaction.

What can be regarded as the good thing about allergies is that once they are known and the allergen has been identified, allergic reactions can be completely prevented as long as the person in question is not exposed to the allergen at any point in time. As a parent, the issue of allergic reactions must not be treated lightly as it can cause anaphylaxis.

Filed Under: Tips & Tricks Tagged With: Allergen, Allergy, Bee sting

Growth and Development: Allergies

It’s a moment you’ve striven to avoid, an instant you’ve tried to refuse: all meals were prepared so carefully; all ingredients were chosen with the utmost diligence. You read every label and you examined every worry. All traces of strawberries were to be denied and you managed to succeed for many years — until now.

Your child has consumed a fruit, is now panicking (because you are). You’re preparing to rush her to the hospital, expect hives to appear and all breaths to become stilted. But, as you hurry her toward the car, you realize something: she isn’t… ill. There are no gasps, no rashes, no inflammations. She is as she was mere minutes ago, with no symptoms appearing.

You still take her to the emergency room, of course, but the trip proves futile. She’s cured.

Food allergies are common among adolescents. It is estimated that over five million children each year experience some form of reactions (ranging from mild nausea to seizures); and parents are forever fretting about the effects of ingredients, the potential dangers.

Many of those dangers, however, disappear with time.

It is believed that 80 percent of all children will outgrow their allergies. Even those who suffer from severe symptoms can find themselves suddenly able to eat what they wish. The reason for this is simple development. Those who have not yet reached the age of six are still experiencing the world. Their bodies are changing constantly, mastering the basic functions, being introduced to all flavors. Often certain foods will trigger reactions, simply because they are unknown (and the proper tolerance has not been formed).

With time, though, these tastes can be conquered — because bodies have settled finally.

It is recommended therefore to consider reintroducing certain foods into a child’s diet (with the permission of a doctor, of course). An abstinence of several years could have allowed all troubles to simply… vanish; and the allergy could be replaced to ease.

Filed Under: Tips & Tricks Tagged With: Allergy, Health

Allergies: The Common Worries

Your child is ill — again. This is both a sad truth and an all too familiar one. She is covered in a rash; she is too nauseous to stand; and all attempts to coax her to eat have failed spectacularly. A doctor, you think, can no longer be avoided (you’d hoped to spare her the worry, had wanted to let the symptoms simply pass). An opinion must be sought.

It reveals what you never suspected: your daughter has a food allergy and her diet must be changed.

As of 2011 it is estimated that eight percent of all children are burdened by allergies. These issues can lead to severe reactions and concerns, prompting reevaluations of every meal and every ingredient. It is essential then for parents to understand the most common offenders and how to respond to them:

One: Milk. Of the many adolescents diagnosed with allergies each year, milk ranks as the most common complication among them. Almost three percent of all individuals are unable to consume it (as well as other dairy products). Soy and rice alternatives are needed to counter the effects, with calcium supplements used to bolster vitamins.

Two: Eggs. Few consider the most familiar breakfast food to offer worries; but 1.5 percent of all children suffer from some form of allergic reactions to eggs. It should be noted, however, that many adolescents outgrow this problem before the age of five.

Three: Peanuts. The notion of allergies forever summons thoughts of peanuts, cashews and macadamias. Such thoughts are not incorrect. 1.4 percent of children are unable to swallow these. All should recognize the potential dangers of nuts since many foods can be contaminated by them. Labels will warn of possible powder traces within. Choose items wisely.

Food allergies cannot be denied. Their consequences can be dangerous and their demands can be many. Discovering ways to combat them is therefore necessary. Understand what must be done to avoid the potential worries.

Filed Under: Tips & Tricks Tagged With: Allergy, Child

The Label Defense: Allergies

It was an unexpected revelation, a discovery you never wished to find — your child suffered from a terrible reaction, was defined to wheezing breaths and angry hives. You were forced to seek treatment, had to wait as doctors calmed his body, allowed him to finally do more than gasp. An allergy was named the cause (nuts proved to be the source, all forms too dangerous to consider); and you came to a necessary conclusion: you could no longer shop blindly. All choices had to be cautious. All items had to be wise. A simple trace of a product could send your son into shock and that… terrified you then.

It still does.

And so you read all labels; you study all contents. It’s the first defense against contamination and you are diligent.

Other parents must be the same.

Food allergies are found among eight percent of all children. They can cause a wide range of symptoms (from breathing difficulties to rashes to seizures). Their dangers are real and must therefore be combated. Choosing to examine all labels is the best way to accomplish this.

Select items that contain no elements of an offending food. Be certain to read if any ingredients may have been exposed to these elements, even accidentally (this is particularly common for nuts, and tiny amounts of peanut powder may be found in products. Try to seek out organic stores as these do not allow machines and processing stations to mingle — which is the main source of cross-contamination). Never choose any produce without first studying what it contains. Be aware of any similar allergens and avoid foods that list them.

Examining labels is a slow process. It will demand time, patience and an understanding of a child’s reaction to specific items. Refusing to do this, however, is tempting trouble. All parents must dissect each ingredient and weigh their potential costs. This is the best way to ensure safety and health.

Filed Under: Tips & Tricks Tagged With: Allergy

The Allergy Complications

There is — you believe — no harm to be discovered in produce. Food is to be without concern, able to be enjoyed for its flavors. And the notion of allergies does not alarm you. Such reactions are to be meager, the cause of occasional pains. Your child will surely outgrow them, you believe. The years will offer the necessary tolerances, shift all tastes into comforts. You must both simply wait. The problem will eventually fade.

That problem becomes a nightmare, however, when your child accidentally consumes what he is meant to avoid, is sent suddenly into shock. The little worries you were expecting are replaced to terrifying seizures, ragged breaths; and you hurry him to the hospital, realizing your cavalier attitude was a mistake.

Food allergies are dangerous. Many forget this truth, assume no simple swallow can trigger harmful consequences. But it can — with the statistics supporting an all too horrifying trend of emergency rooms and fatalities.

It is estimated that eight percent of the adolescent population suffers from some form of allergies. Of these eight percent over 300,000 must visit the hospital each year — whether for surgical procedures, treatments or diagnoses. And (sadly) 100 children under the age of six die annually because of severe reactions, typically due to anaphylaxis.

These numbers are unfortunate and disturbing — if only because they aren’t expected. Food allergies are too often assumed to be common, with most children thought capable of growing out of them with time. While this can happen, most will keep their illnesses throughout their lives; and a considerable portion of these adolescents will have to face treatment at some point.

Allergies are not therefore to be dismissed. They aren’t to be considered easy worries. They offer burdens of potential pain — and fatalities. They must be given the necessary care and concern. Diagnose them early; seek help as needed; and consider every single taste, assuring no flavors are contaminated.

Filed Under: Nutrition Tagged With: Allergy, Child

Creating a Nutritious Diet For Kids

There are many reasons why people do not eat healthy foods. Some do not like the taste while others choose to buy cheaper processed foods. Parents that are feeding their children unhealthy food need to make a conscious change to the diet of their family. By eating junk food kids put themselves at risk of a number of different health conditions.

The first thing that parents need to do before they change the diet of their kids is to examine the way they currently eat. Parents should take look in their cupboards and see how long some of the food has been in there. Fresh fruits and vegetables should be replacing processed foods that have a long shelf life.

When parents are trying to change the way their family eats they should include children into the process. Many children view planning and preparing a meal to be great fun. Also parents should think about the foods that their children like to eat and find healthy alternatives. For example a handful of nuts is healthier than a small bag of potato chips. They are tasty and crunchy which will make them an acceptable alternative for children.

Lastly parents should take overweight and underweight children to the doctor to make sure that they are not suffering from a medical condition that has an impact on their weight. Most children will not but some kids will have illnesses or allergies that cause them to avoid or eat certain types of foods. If a parent has a child that has an allergy they will need to find whole foods that do not contain traces of the substance that they are allergic to. Creating a diet for kids who do not have allergies will be much easier. All a parent has to do is prepare and cook healthy meals.

Filed Under: Nutrition Tagged With: Allergy, Eating, Health, Nutrition