Knowing the Facts of Severe Food Allergies - A guest post by Tammy Mahan

There are millions of people in the world having severe reactions caused by food allergies each year. While the symptoms of most food allergies are minor and the reactions mild, there are those that cause severe, even life threatening reactions. Food allergies cannot be cured; important measures for the prevention of serious consequences to health are recognizing the allergy early and managing the reactions to food.

Allergic reactions can be caused by over one hundred and sixty foods. The eight that are most common make up ninety percent of the allergic reactions to food and the source of a number of ingredients. This is why food labeling laws pinpoint these eight foods on ingredient labels. 

Top Eight Allergy Foods

• Wheat

• Peanuts

• Soybeans

• Tree nuts (pecans, walnuts, almonds)

• Eggs

• Dairy (milk)

• Crustacean shellfish (lobster, shrimp, crab)

• Fish

The food labeling law (requiring allergens to be identified on labels) designates these as major allergens that could lead to severe reactions. The individual ingredients have to be listed on the label with the source of the food in parenthesis beside them if it is not obvious from the food name itself. There can be an allergy warning that says: this product contains (name of allergen), or that the food was made in a facility that also makes one of the common allergens. 

Reacting to Severe Food Allergy Symptoms

A food allergy could be present if there is the appearance of certain symptoms and avoiding them can prevent the re-occurrence.

• Reading labels will help to avoid the foods that result in the allergy. Recognizing the first symptoms of an allergic reaction and being knowledge of the proper measures for treatment is important. 

• Treatment should be initiated immediately by those that have a food allergy and begin having symptoms while eating or after eating. Visiting the emergency room should be done if the symptoms worsen.

Allergic Reaction Symptoms

Severe food allergy reactions can appear after a few minutes or up to two hours after the food has been eaten. Hives, rash, swelling of the lips, face and tongue and abdominal cramps are all signs of allergic reactions. There can also be difficulty breathing, dizziness, loss of consciousness and swelling of the vocal cords and throat with an allergic reaction.

It is important to learn to identify the symptoms early so that treatment can be gotten immediately to prevent death from resulting.

Severe Food Allergies Can Threaten Your Life

Anaphylaxis can result from eating a food that you are allergic too. The airways in the lungs can become constricted. Swelling of the throat can lead to suffocation, and anaphylactic shock can occur when the blood pressure drops severely leading to shock.

Anaphylaxis from severe food allergies results in approximately one hundred and fifty deaths, two thousand hospitalizations and thirty thousand visits to the emergency room in the United States per year.

Learning which foods that you are allergic too and educating yourself about the reading of labels to identify common allergy inducing foods is of the utmost importance for your health when you live with severe food allergies.

About the Author

Tammy Mahan earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing at the State University of New York. She practiced as a Registered Nurse for 20 years. She has experience working in the following medical units; intensive care, cardiac care, medical/surgical, oncology, pediatrics, neo-natal intensive care, and emergency room care. As a Certified Natural Health Consultant, she advises people on alternative treatments and helps them set up treatment plans that will best suit their needs. Tammy has written hundreds of articles, blog posts and eBooks related to health and medical topics. She has also ghost written thousands of articles on topics ranging from arts and crafts to zoo animals. She also has excellent research skills that allows her to write informative articles on any topic in laymen terms and for the highly educated. Tammy is also the author of a cookbook, a children’s non-fiction book, and a new age book. As a mother, she is also well versed in topics relating to family and children. As an animal lover, she enjoys spending time with and caring for her pets. Tammy has also traveled extensively throughout the United States and several other countries. As a professional writer, she creates content that is informative and engaging to her readers.