Contents:
- Medical Video: Does your Child have Food Allergies
- Why can your body experience food allergies?
- Characteristics and symptoms of food allergies
- Food allergies can reach dangerous levels
Medical Video: Does your Child have Food Allergies
Did you know that food allergies can develop at any age? Not only when you are a child, but when you are an adult food allergies can develop. Some people may not have any food allergies in their childhood, but when they grow up they can cause allergic reactions when eating certain foods. Actually, how do food allergies develop?
Why can your body experience food allergies?
In your body, there is an immune system that protects you from foreign agents (such as bacteria and viruses) that can harm the body. This immune system can know which substances are good and bad for the body. If there is a foreign substance that is bad for the body, the immune system will fight it and a reaction will occur.
This immune system is strongly related to the development of allergies to food. When facing food, the work of the immune system is somewhat different because all substances in food must be processed rather than rejected. Good bacteria in the intestines help digest substances in these foods. In addition, good bacteria also compete with harmful bad bacteria in food. The body's ability to suppress instincts to kill harmful foreign substances in the intestine when digesting food is called oral tolerance.
However, sometimes the body fails to suppress this immune response, causing an allergic reaction to certain food substances. The immune system can also mistakenly recognize substances in food as foreign substances, so the body will cause allergic reactions.
To be able to produce an allergic reaction, the body needs some time. Substances that cause allergies must be at a certain point so that an allergic reaction can emerge. This substance can enter the body many times without causing an allergic reaction. And, when it has crossed the line, the body will react. So, no wonder if there are some people who have just given rise to an allergic reaction when they are adults.
Characteristics and symptoms of food allergies
Various food allergic reactions can appear in different forms, from mild to serious. This depends on how your body reacts to substances that are thought to be dangerous and how much of these substances enter your body.
Generally, allergic reactions cause symptoms in the skin and respiratory system. Some allergic reactions that fall into the mild to moderate category are:
- Itching on the skin
- Swelling of the face, lips, or eyes
- Stomach ache
- Gag
Meanwhile, some severe allergic reactions are:
- Breathless
- Swelling of the tongue
- Difficulty speaking or hoarse voice
- Wheezing or coughing continuously
- Dizzy
- The face looks pale
Food allergies can reach dangerous levels
Food allergies can reach dangerous levels that can be life threatening. This is called anaphylaxis. If after your meal raises a severe allergic reaction, you should immediately see a doctor.
If it is proven that certain foods cause food allergies to you, then you should no longer eat these foods. In fact, some people can produce an allergic reaction by only breathing in certain food aromas. To find out if you have a food allergy, you need to undergo several tests.
