Food allergy and food intolerance in children

Food allergy and food in-tolerances are a very difficult and exciting field in medicine. If they are asked about how many people who believe they react to food, answer about 25% of their food operations. Tests which each of these, one can only detect food allergies in about 2%.

Most children with food allergies
Some forms of food allergies are slight to suspect, and easy to confirm. In other cases, the patient's pain and symptoms are vague and can fit with different diagnoses. In these cases, it is a challenge to the right diagnosis, thus providing the correct treatment.

Food allergy occurs in all ages but is most common in children. Between 5 and 8% of children have food allergies.

Cow's milk Allergy
Milk allergy is the most common food allergies in children, and often debuts first. Diagnosis can be difficult, because milk allergy can be manifest itself in many ways. Children can have colic or pain seemed affected; they may have diarrhea or constipation, vomiting or excessive spit-up; they may have coughed and / or moist breath, and breathing stops or severe shortness of breath as in asthma. They may also have a rash; red or hives. The symptoms can come immediately after consumption of milk products or up to a few days afterwards.
Children who are breast fed may react to milk proteins in mother's diet.


Often by itself
The best cow's milk allergy is that it often goes by itself. Some are cured after only a few months, others within two to three years, but some also sustained milk allergy.

Has it not been severe symptoms such as rashes on the body or breathing difficulties, parents usually at about the age of trying to give the child some food with milk proteins, for example? a small piece of cheese. It does not your child ailments of this, the amount of dairy foods increased.

I have there been serious symptoms, it is very important to let a doctor do the testing. Some of the children who appear to have been cured of his cow's milk allergy are of school age, frequent abdominal pain associated with the consumption of cow's milk or foods made ​​from cow's milk.

Egg allergy - can be severe.
Egg allergies may also make his debut in the first year of life, or in another year of life. Egg allergy can often cause significant and serious symptoms such as serious shortness of breath, rash over the body, often hives; vomiting, and even allergic shock. Raw egg white gives more severe symptoms than boiled or fried egg and some reacting in raw egg white. Does your child's rash or shortness of breath shortly after taking food with eggs, it may be necessary to very quickly medical attention? Regardless of severity at the initial reaction to the child should be examined by a specialist. It can sometimes be worse at a later date.

How the diagnosis of egg allergy
Diagnosis is made by a blood test ¸ weather and / or skin prick test (extract of eggs pricked into the skin). The treatment will be a year of life eggfruit, sometimes it is enough year stay away from raw egg's tut. In the worst cases, the VA | necessary for the epinephrine pen (one-A-A antidote to allergic shock).

Like cow's milk allergy Yesterday usually also ¥ egg allergy by itself, most frequently between 2 and four year rs of age. Some have their allergy no longer in childhood, while some are permanently allergic to egg. In most cases, I raw the families during the year let a doctor trailing to slash for testing with a view on whether the child began to take ¥ le eggs, because egg allergy can often cause serious symptoms.



Other food allergies
Already in the 2nd year of life, the other best-known food allergies debut. However, they may present at any time in life. This deals primarily with the various nut allergies and fish allergy. Less can be soy, peas, other legumes, kiwi fruit, peppers, etc. cause sensitization.

Very rarely due to allergy floor, lupine flour and other foods.
Symptoms regardless of food can vary from mild itching in the mouth to vomiting, diarrhea, rash, abdominal pain and shortness of breath. At worst, it may be the allergic shock, which develops within minutes after ingestion. Some react with severe symptoms just by the smell of fish or dust from nuts or flour. Some may react to certain fish species, but not in others. The same goes nuts.

Diagnosis is made by blood tests and / or tingling of the skin test. The treatment is to live without the allergenic food, in severe cases it may be necessary with epinephrine pen. In essence, we must expect these types of food allergies that term.

Foods that cross-react with other allergies
Those who have pollen allergy have not infrequently an allergic reaction to various fruits and vegetables. The most common is that those who have pollen allergies react to apple and carrot, but almost all fruits and vegetables can cause cross-sensitization. The most common reaction is itching in the mouth and throat, which tends to be harmless, but uncomfortable. Cooked vegetables and peeled fruits are tolerated better than untreated.

Foods that are often suspected to cause sensitization.
This concerns, in particular, about the foods that provide rash. Both tomato-containing foods, citrus, strawberries, chocolate, shellfish and some fish species can cause a rash (usually around the mouth) and possibly swelling and itching in the mouth without the allergy. The reason is that histamine (a substance found in many of the body's cells and provide inflammation-like reactions) are released from the skin and mucosal cells. This is not dangerous; it is self-limiting, and it may not be the same reaction even if the child later consumed the alike food. Taking antihistamines (allergy tablets) before food intake usually terminates the reaction.

Gluten intolerance, or celiac disease, is not a common allergy. The celiac small bowel mucosa reacts to gluten, which is a constituent of grain. The lining is destroyed, and this often produces gastrointestinal symptoms. However, the strange is that the disease can take on a variety of ways. Normal is diarrhea, poor growth and thin children, pitiable appetite, vomiting, abdominal pain, constipation, upset children. It is important to make a correct diagnosis, and this must be done by a doctor. Diagnosis is made by a blood test first, then a tissue sample from the small intestine. It is important that children continue with normal cost until all samples are taken, otherwise you may get the wrong result.

Common ailments that are often suspected to be food allergies.

Atopic dermatitis: It Is usually a skin disease, but in about 30% may mean something to a food allergy eczema. Because it is very difficult to test foods and eczema myself, I would encourage everyone to consult a doctor to get this checked.

Diarrhea in young children - could be allergies, but often there are other reasons. It may be too much sugar in your diet. Eventually, we can speak about fruit sugar in children who are very fond of fruit and fruit juices. Children are usually aged 2-4 years, are healthy and growing normally. The problem is that fruit sugar draws fluid in the intestine (works osmostisk).

Diarrhea can also be a sign of constipation, which is a very common disorder in children. Diarrhea occurs because the intestine is completely full of feces, and therefore, can only liquid stool pass.

Abdominal pain: Furthermore, abdominal pain in children is often caused by constipation. It is usually easy to treat, but it is important to get to the doctor to get proper diagnosis and treatment.

Abdominal pain can be difficult to find reasons. Sometimes also be gas pain. If the child has a lot of flatulence, it can help to reduce the easily digestible carbohydrates, ie, foods with lots of white flour, pasta, etc. Intestinal Bacteria our very fond of these foods and create a lot of intestinal gas, which in turn produces pain.

One must keep in mind that children, especially young children, often complain of stomach pain, even if actually located elsewhere, and that children with mental-health problems immediately have abdominal pain.

Lethargy and poor form: It Caused rare food allergy or food reactions, but sometimes it may be the only symptom of celiac disease. It is therefore, important to investigate this.