Food Allergy in US Children up by 18%
A new report from the US government states that four out of every 100 U.S. children under the age of 18 suffers from a food allergy. This represents an 18% increase over the last 10 years.
The most common allergens include milk, eggs, peanuts, fish and shellfish, soy and wheat.
It is not understood why so many children suffer from food allergies but it is known that the immune system has some problem in children that have an allergy to certain foods.
It is likely that a child will show an allergic reaction to more than one food allergen.
What this means is if a child has an allergy to shrimp, allergy testing is likely to show that he is also allergic to crab, lobster and most if not all shellfish.
The high incidence of allergies in children seems to be mainly restricted to westernised countries, it is seldom seen in Asian or African countries.
Food allergies can also be associated with other conditions.
Of those children that have an allergy to food, 29% also have asthma, 27% have eczema or a skin allergy, and more than 30% have respiratory conditions, compared with 12%, 8% and 9% among children who do not have any food allergies.
A food allergy is an abnormal response to a food set off by the body's immune system and can be life threatening.
The body sees the allergen as an enemy and produces chemicals, including histamine to fight the enemy. These chemicals will lead to the body exhibiting certain symptoms as a reaction to the allergen.
If you are allergic to a particular food, you may first feel itching in your mouth when you start to chew the food.
After the food is digested in your stomach, you may have vomiting, diarrhoea, or stomach pain.
When the allergens enter and travel through your bloodstream, your blood pressure may drop.
As the allergens reach your skin, they can lead to hives or eczema.
When the allergens get to the lungs, they can cause asthma.
The most common foods that cause problems in children are eggs, milk and peanuts.
Children are more likely to outgrow allergies to milk or soy than allergies to peanuts or shrimp.
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