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PROGRAMSUCCESSx13JULY2012PAGE29FoodAllergiesAfoodallergyoccurswhentheimmunesystemattackscertainproteinsinafood.Theseproteinsinthecaseofallergicreactionsarecalledallergens.Theseallergenshavesurvivedtheheatofpreparationandcookingtheacidinthestomachandtheenzymessecretedduringintestinaldigestion.Duetothissurvivaltheseproteinscrossthegastrointestinalliningtheyenterthebloodstreamandtraveltotargetorganswheretheybegintoelicitaresponse.Tocombattheinvasionoftheseproteinstheimmunesystemproducesantibodieswhichareproteinswhichaidintherecognitionandattackoftheseforeignsubstances.TheantibodiesthatassistwithallergiesareimmunoglobulinEIgE.Toprotectthebodyfromfutureinvasiontheantibodieswillattachthemselvestomastcells.OncethatharmlessfoodisingestedagaintheonethatthebodymistookasharmfulthemastcellscontainingtheIgEwillrecruithistamineswhichintellfightthepathogenselicitinganallergicreaction.Itchingswellingoftheskinhivesandweltsareallaresultofthereleaseofhistamineintoyourbodyaninflammatoryresponse.Oncetheinflammatoryresponseistriggeredthereisincreasebloodflowtothedamagedarea.Histaminewhichwasreleasedafterthedetectionoftheallergenstimulatesvasodilation.Thebloodvesselsandthecapillarieswiden.Thesegapsallowplasmaandfluidtohaveeasieraccesstopassandleakthroughbetweenthecellsandtheincreasedbloodflowproducestherednessandheat.Ifthereisanaccumulationoffluidfromdamagedcellsintissuespacesthiscausesswelling.Ifenoughpressurebuildsuponnerveendingsthiscanleadtopain.Whenafoodallergycausesswellingofyourbodyx19stissuesitiscalledAngioedema.ThemorecommonsitesofswellingassociatedwithAngioedemaarethefaceandthelipshoweverthemouthtongueandairwaysmayswellaswell.Withtheobstructionofyourairwaysbreathingandswallowingmaybecomeimpaired.Seafoodshellfishandnutsarethemostcommonfoodallergiesthatsparkthiscondition.Antibioticdrugsmayalsotriggerthisresponse.Toreducetheswellingantihistaminedrugsandcorticosteroidscanbeadministeredforthemildercases.ForthemoreseverecasesofAngioedemaemergencymedicaltreatmentisneeded.Anaphylaxisisamorerareallergicreactionbutitcanleadtofatality.Thisallergicreactionisaresultfromallergenextremesensitivityorhypersensitivity.Involvingtheentirehumanbodytheimmunesystemreleasesexcessiveamountsofhistamine.Thebodybeingunabletocopethrowsthebodyintoshockbecauseofthesuddenfallinbloodpressure.SimilarlytoAngioedematherecanbeconstrictionandobstructionoftheairwayswhichcanbefatalandtheremaybeswellingofthefacelipsandtongue.Urticariawhichisarashredincolorandlumpyintexturecancauseitchyandirritatedskin.Nutsarethemorecommonfoodallergentotriggerthisresponse.AdrenalinemaybeprescribedbyaphysiciantothosesufferingwithAnaphylaxisandsyringesofepinephrinemaybegiven.CommonFoodAllergiesinchildrenincludemilkeggwhiteswheatsoyandpeanuts.About6ofchildrenaresufferingwithfoodallergies.Inadultsthemorecommonfoodallergiesareshellfishtreenutspeanutsandfish.About2ofadultssufferwithoneormorefoodallergies.Therearehoweverfoodsthataccountforabout90offoodsthatcauseallergies.Thesepopularallergicfoodsincludemilkeggpeanutstreenutfishshellfishsoybeanswheatandsomefruitslikebananasgrapesmelonsavocadostomatoesandnectarines.MyfoodallergydoesnotfallonthislistandwhenIinformpeopleofitmostpeopleareshocked.Iamallergictoapplejuice.Itcauseshivestoappearallovermybodyandaninstantspikeintemperature.ApplesIcanconsumehoweverItrytolimitmyintake.Commonsymptomsoffoodallergiesmayvarybuttheinitialunusualchangeinthebodyx19shomeostasiscanbeagreatindicator.Vomitingdiarrhearashesitchinghivesandsometimesevenasthmaticconditionsmayappear.Readingfoodlabelscarefullyavoidingyourfoodallergensandbeingawareofanyotherpossiblecontactarewaystopreventthesesymptoms.Ifyouareunawarewhetheryouareallergictoanyfooditemusingabloodorskintestyoucandetectwhetheryouhaveafoodallergyorifareactionwastriggeredbyafoodoranotherunderlyingissue.Minutesafterexposuretotheallergenthereactionsrapidlyoccur.Thesereactionstakeplaceintherespiratorytractwhentheallergenisinhaledorinthedigestivetractwhenconsumed.