Warwick Busby 
Navigating food allergies and intolerances can be daunting, yet delicious meals can still be enjoyed with proper guidance. This guide covers topics including label reading, substitution of banned foods for prohibited ones and managing common symptoms like skin reactions, digestive distress or fatigue.
Food allergies have an adverse impact on the immune system and can even have life-threatening symptoms; in such instances, sufferers must carry an epinephrine auto-injector for self-treatment purposes.
1. Recognize Symptoms
Symptoms may include digestive issues like gas and stomach pain as well as rashes, respiratory symptoms like wheezing or difficulty breathing, skin issues or mild or severe respiratory illnesses that come and go over time. They could even occur simultaneously or intermittently.
If you suspect food allergy, see your physician immediately. He or she will conduct a comprehensive medical history and physical exam as part of this assessment process. Also be sure to disclose any family histories that increase risk factors for such reactions such as asthma.
Food allergies occur when your immune system misinterprets certain proteins present in food as threats and releases antibodies such as immunoglobulin E (IgE) to attack them. A severe reaction known as anaphylaxis requires immediate medical intervention to avoid life-threatening consequences; such injections of an epinephrine shot could save lives.
2. Talk to Your Doctor
If you experience negative symptoms after eating certain foods, the best thing for you to do is consult your physician. Food allergies involve an immune response which affects multiple organs; on the other hand, food intolerances affect only your digestive tract.
Symptoms can range from minor, such as stomach ache and gas, to life-threatening anaphylaxis. An allergist is available to conduct allergy testing to determine if symptoms may be due to allergies.
Food intolerances require an elimination diet in order to identify which foods may be responsible. This may require keeping a food diary, taking specific tests such as hydrogen breath tests for lactose intolerance or skin prick tests for gluten intolerance, and seeking nutritional guidance from dieticians or nutritionists.
3. Avoid Triggers
Food allergies have the power to significantly compromise immune systems, often triggering life-threatening reactions such as hives or difficulty breathing. Most allergies appear early on and last throughout life; food intolerances typically only cause temporary discomfort rather than serious or life-threatening reactions.
Identification and avoidance of allergens requires reading ingredient lists carefully and being attentive when dining out. Aware that many allergens can also be found in sauces, salad dressings and medications can also help. Consulting with a registered dietitian for guidance in creating balanced diets which accommodate allergy-free choices is important – for instance replacing dairy with lactose-free milk or soy milk could assist those suffering from dairy allergies.
4. Keep a Food Journal
Keep a food journal to accurately diagnose food allergies or intolerances. No need for anything fancy here – just track everything eaten and how it makes you or your child feel; mark down any allergy symptoms like rash or hives in the journal as soon as they appear.
So that your doctor can assess a link between diet and unwanted symptoms, keeping a food diary can be very helpful in diagnosing intolerances or allergies; you might discover for instance that Pedialyte contains milk that causes his or her hives; therefore discontinuing use and seeking out more healthy options would be appropriate.
5. Be Honest
Food allergies are a serious medical condition that can have potentially life-threatening reactions. Each year, an estimated 3.4 million people visit an emergency department because of food allergies; however, there are ways for individuals with food allergies to thrive safely when dining out, socialising, traveling and working.
Avoiding allergens is the key to reducing the risk of allergic reactions, whether that means reading long ingredient lists and alerting daycare, school, colleagues and friends of your dietary requirements. Allergens may even be hidden in foods you wouldn’t expect such as peanuts in salad dressing or eggs in chocolate!
Milk, egg, wheat and soy allergies typically subside over time; however, those to fish, shellfish and tree nuts usually remain lifelong. By maintaining a positive attitude and being informed of your dietary requirements ahead of time, eating out becomes much simpler while managing allergies or intolerances.
