Strategies To Gaining Awareness Of What Causes Food Allergies
At different points in our lives, we all face a variety of medical problems, some of which impact us as physical ailments while others hammer away at us with perhaps more frustrating diseases. But when an affliction - such as a food allergy - comes as a result of simply eating, this can be particularly discomforting.
It’s hard to pinpoint exactly what causes allergies, especially if you have a delayed allergic response.
People with an immediate-onset allergy generally react to one or two foods, while those with a delayed-onset sensitivity may react to as many as 15. Keep reading to learn how to find out what causes allergies and the body’s allergic response.
How the Allergic Reaction Works
A food allergy is actually an immune system function. Basically, the body senses a substance that it doesn’t like or want inside the body. It responds by releasing white blood cells along with histamine and leukotrienes, which cause inflammation. That inflammation can occur in the stomach, intestinal tract, throat, mouth or in the form of a rash.
In addition to sending out white blood cells, the immune system also powers up its antibodies. These try to rid the body of any traces of the offending food in the intestinal tract, blood or stomach. Unfortunately, they can cause long-term harm.
Generally, with immediate-onset allergies, you’ll experience your allergic reaction within an hour or two of eating the trigger food. The allergy will often manifest itself as hives or hay fever-like symptoms, but it can also be a swelling of the throat or mouth area.
With delayed allergic reactions, you may not see symptoms for as many as 3 days. Typically, delayed reactions are caused by a large amount of the culprit food.
Finding Out the Diet Resulting in Your Allergies
Keep Track of Everything You Eat
Keep a food diary for three months, recording everything you eat and any symptoms. This may help you to identify an obvious relationship between a food and an adverse reaction.
Cut Out Suspect Food
If you suspect a certain food is causing your allergies, don’t eat it for three weeks, and then reintroduce it to see if it causes problems. If it does, you’ve pinpointed your allergy.
If this single-food elimination doesn’t work, exclude all the most likely culprits for three weeks. Then try a small amount of one of these foods every four days to see if it triggers a reaction. However, if you are not knowledgeable about nutrition, don’t attempt this exclusion diet without medical supervision.
Also, be aware that when you give up a food to which you are allergic, you may experience temporary withdrawal symptoms, such as headaches, fatigue, and irritability. This is normal and should not be cause for concern.
Eliminate the Culprit Food
Once you identify your culprit foods, you can omit them from your diet altogether, in which case all your symptoms should disappear within three to six months. Or, if you are not severely allergic, see whether you can eat a small amount once every four days or more without trouble. You may need to exclude the culprit foods completely for six months before you gradually reintroduce them in this way.
By understanding your allergies, the types you have and seeing the relationship between then and what you eat, you can find out which afflict you and gain relief.