| Food allergies affect approximately 4 million | | | | |
| Americans with symptoms that can include | | | | Food allergies are so serious in some people |
| difficulty breathing, an outbreak of hives, | | | | that even smelling the food can trigger an |
| asthma, vomiting, and even death. Oftentimes | | | | allergic reaction. However, food allergies |
| food allergies are confused with an inability | | | | mostly become an issue after a person has |
| to tolerate certain foods. Food intolerance | | | | eaten a food to which he or she is allergic. |
| usually brings about an entirely different | | | | Symptoms can begin right at the point of |
| set of symptoms including a bloated feeling, | | | | entry with lips that begin to tingle or a |
| gas, or other similar type of discomfort. | | | | tongue that begins to itch. Gastrointestinal |
| | | | trouble follows with cramping, or the need to |
| Food Allergies or Food Intolerance | | | | vomit, or the development of diarrhea. As the |
| | | | troublesome food breaks down and enters the |
| An easy way to distinguish food allergies | | | | bloodstream, it travels towards the lungs and |
| from food intolerances is to understand that | | | | at that point conditions such as asthma, |
| an allergic reaction actually originates in a | | | | eczema, shortness of breath, or low blood |
| persons immune system. A severe allergic | | | | pressure can all develop. |
| reaction can result in suffocation when the | | | | |
| throat or the tongue swells so much that a | | | | Dealing with Food Allergies |
| person cannot breathe. Given the fact that | | | | |
| approximately 150 people in the United States | | | | To protect themselves, people with known |
| die each year from food allergies, this | | | | allergies to food simply have to avoid coming |
| condition is no laughing matter. | | | | into contact with these foods. That sounds |
| | | | easy enough, however the reality is that it |
| Individuals with known food allergies usually | | | | is not always possible to avoid the foods |
| inherit this condition from another member of | | | | that cause problems. Processed foods can |
| the family. When food allergy patients are | | | | contain so many ingredients that sometimes |
| studied, it is common to see that conditions | | | | the food culprit is buried deep in the fine |
| such as eczema, hay fever, and asthma affect | | | | print. Legislation aimed at improving food |
| other family members. | | | | labeling as it pertains to food allergies has |
| | | | recently been enacted and hopefully these new |
| Foods That Cause Allergies | | | | labeling requirements will better protect |
| | | | those with food allergies. |
| A few different kinds of foods seem to | | | | |
| trigger the most allergic reactions. And it | | | | Keeping children away from food allergens is |
| seems that adults and children each have a | | | | difficult unless a parent is vigilant about |
| different set of foods that cause problems. | | | | what goes into the childs mouth. Parents of |
| The majority of food allergy cases in | | | | children with food allergies must inform |
| children involve peanuts, milk, eggs, soy and | | | | everyone from school officials to neighbors |
| wheat. In adults, the foods most involved | | | | about the childs food allergies and even |
| with allergies include shellfish (such as | | | | then, accidents happen. Fortunately for |
| shrimp, crab and lobster), peanuts, walnuts, | | | | children with food allergies, most will |
| eggs, other fish and nuts that grow in trees. | | | | outgrow this condition. |