You can learn to recognise the symptoms of a food allergy in your child. Most of the time, when a food allergy is suspected, it turns out to be something entirely different. It is estimated that about 6 percent of all young children have an allergy to some type of food. Furthermore, in a lot of cases, a child will simply grow out of the allergy.
If your child seems to have a reaction to a certain food, it is because his body is seeing this food as an invader and is responding to the attack. When the body sees a food as an invader, the immune system will release histamines to fight it off. These histamines cause reactions like swelling, hives, watery eyes, problems breathing, and a runny nose. Severe reactions, usually involving breathing, can be life threatening and require immediate medical attention.
A food allergy can mimic so many other conditions and can be very difficult to pin down. For instance, a toddler who has a persistent rash could be having a reaction to food, or he could have dermatitis. Most times, a food allergy will take several trips to a doctor to get a proper diagnosis.
Another reason that a food allergy is difficult to isolate is that a child can suddenly become allergic to a food that they have eaten many times before.
If you think your young child may have a food allergy, talk to your doctor. You will probably be referred to an allergist who can determine the exact cause of the reaction. If your child’s reactions involve problems breathing, you will probably be advised to carry adrenaline injections with you at all times. If this is necessary, your doctor will instruct you on how to use the injections to stop a potentially life threatening reaction in your child.
If your child seems to have a reaction to a certain food, it is because his body is seeing this food as an invader and is responding to the attack. When the body sees a food as an invader, the immune system will release histamines to fight it off. These histamines cause reactions like swelling, hives, watery eyes, problems breathing, and a runny nose. Severe reactions, usually involving breathing, can be life threatening and require immediate medical attention.
A food allergy can mimic so many other conditions and can be very difficult to pin down. For instance, a toddler who has a persistent rash could be having a reaction to food, or he could have dermatitis. Most times, a food allergy will take several trips to a doctor to get a proper diagnosis.
Another reason that a food allergy is difficult to isolate is that a child can suddenly become allergic to a food that they have eaten many times before.
If you think your young child may have a food allergy, talk to your doctor. You will probably be referred to an allergist who can determine the exact cause of the reaction. If your child’s reactions involve problems breathing, you will probably be advised to carry adrenaline injections with you at all times. If this is necessary, your doctor will instruct you on how to use the injections to stop a potentially life threatening reaction in your child.
