Common Symptoms of Food Allergies

Hives are one of the many visible signs of a food allergy. I’ve learned through my research that certain foods may trigger a variety of problems. As we have already seen, there is a connection between inflammation and several illnesses, diseases, and food allergies, many of which are related to gluten.

As we have just learned, there are many substances that can prompt an allergic reaction. What I found most alarming was the direct connection between certain foods, particularly those containing gluten (the protein in wheat) and food allergies! It’s important to note that gluten and milk cause two of the most common food allergies which emphasize the advantages of a gluten free dairy free diet!

Allow me to elaborate. A food allergy is caused by the immune-sy stem’s response to certain proteins found in food. As in other ty pes of allergic reactions, certain foods can cause the release of histamine. A variety of sy mptoms can result, from a runny nose, and sneezing, to hives, stomach cramps, and diarrhea, to anaphy laxis (an extremely serious condition that occurs rapidly occasionally resulting in death).

And if that’s not alarming enough, this reaction could potentially happen at any time. Any one who has an allergic reaction may have any where between a very minor to a major reaction (as my daughter did). Whenever the offending food is consumed, certain antibodies may be activated that can bind with the food particles and stimulate an autoimmune-inflammatory reaction. As we have learned, inflammation of any ty pe can interfere with the body ’s ability to heal and metabolize food properly. Additionally, these food allergens are usually not properly digested and build up in the liver, kidney s, and all of the organs that are associated with detox within the body. After eliminating glutens from their diet, many people no longer experience allergic reactions to food. The common sy mptoms include those that we have already identified. The following chart shows the many sy mptoms and signs of food allergies.

Common Symptoms of Food Allergy
-Skin :  Itching, Skin Redness/Hives Eczema, Swelling (usually on the face)
-Mouth and Eyes : Itching, Numbness Edema, Redness and Tearing
-GASTROINTESTINAL : Nausea, Pain Vomiting, Diarrhea, Abdominal Pain
-RESPIRATORY : Nose/Larynx/Throat/ Lungs : Itching/ Dry/Tightness Shortness of Breath Chest Pain/Tightness : Swelling, Hoarseness, Wheezing, Cough, Respiratory Distress
- HEART AND CARDIOVASCULAR : Chest Pain/ Tightness/Feeling Dizziness/Faintness : Fainting, Loss of Consciousness Hypotension or shock (low blood pressure), Abnormal Heart Beat
OTHER : Feeling of Impending Disaster : Uterine Contractions (women)

However, many signs are not quite so obvious. It took me a long time to make the connection between my painful joints and the large amounts of gluten that I was consuming! (I also want to point out adults and children don’t always react to food allergens in the same way.)

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Food Allergies in Adults versus Children

When very young children (or babies) experience food allergies, they may be the result of prenatal or hereditary factors. Allergies may also be the result of intestinal cell damage that can occur if a child is fed formula, rather than breast milk, or solid baby food at too early an age. This damage often occurs if the intestines are still too immature to handle the foods.

When food allergies develop later on in a person’s life, the allergy is generally the result of chemical or phy sical damage within the cells of the intestines. For example, food poisoning may cause permanent intestinal damage, when the toxins cannot be properly handled and eliminated. When this happens, an auto-immune response can be activated that causes inflammation within the intestines and throughout the entire body. The vulnerable parts of the body usually suffer the most. When damage takes place over time, inflammation (tissue and organ damage) may result in an imbalance that becomes chronic. For this reason, repairing the damage to tissue and organs begins with pay ing attention to food intake and proper digestion. Along with allergies, the serious health issues previously mentioned: arthritis, heart disease, skin problems, and asthma often can be remedied, at least in part, by changing our diet and focusing on the foods that can be properly digested.

The longer food allergies persist, the greater the damaged caused. The best measure is to take a serious look at the possibility of food allergies and gluten intolerance within y our family, and start making healthy changes as soon as possible in order to avoid illness, disease, allergies and infection.

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