Most Common Food Allergies In Children
When the immune system detects that an allergen component has entered the body, it becomes hypersensitive and an alteration occurs that leads to varied symptoms, typical of food allergies. These range from vomiting, diarrhea, skin irritations to, in extreme cases, death from suffocation.
That is why it is so important for parents to know what the most common food allergies are and, in turn, carry out the tests and examinations that determine if the child will be affected by consuming a specific food.
Unfortunately, food allergies cannot be eradicated from the body once they occur. In addition, even if the necessary tests are carried out and a negative result is found with some food, hypersensitivity towards it can be activated at any time in life.
Prevention and observation will be our main allies to avoid the uncomfortable consequences of an allergic condition.
The eight most common allergens
It is clear that each organism is a world. An individual can be allergic to any food, including those that are not regularly ‘blacklisted’ for their recurrence to create adverse reactions.
However, there are eight main allergens that are highly likely to trigger flare-ups. These are:
- Peanuts
- The eggs.
- Seafood.
- Milk.
- Soy.
- The wheat.
- The dried fruits.
- Fish.
Within the last category are, for example, prawns and shrimp. Meanwhile, in the first one – peanuts – we can highlight walnuts and hazelnuts and products derived from peanuts, such as butter.
On the other hand, although they are not included in the list of the eight most common allergens, some fruits such as kiwi, strawberries and peaches are also listed as triggers of outbreaks, as stated in an article published in the journal “European Annals of Allergy and Clinical Immunology ”.
Symptoms of the most common food allergies
When the immune system mistakenly classifies a food eaten as harmful to health, it generates so-called IgE antibodies. These cause mast cells or allergic cells to release a chemical into the bloodstream called histamine, which alters areas such as the nose, eyes, digestive tract, and skin.
To be more specific, the discomforts that are generated from the release of histamine are:
- Bumps on the eyelids.
- Inflammation in the region of the mouth and lips.
- Inflammation of the tongue
- Skin hives.
- Anaphylaxis.
- Bronchial asthma.
- Rhinitis.
- Bronchospasm crisis.
- Localized hives or all over the body.
- Inflammatory skin diseases.
Time lapses in which symptoms appear
Symptoms of food allergies will appear immediately or for up to five days, depending on the type of allergy that develops in the child. This may be severe, moderate or mild, according to an article published in the journal “Immunology and Allergy Clinics of North America.”
With severe allergies, outbreaks can occur simply by touching or inhaling allergen food particles . In moderate or mild cases, they can appear after 30 minutes of ingestion or, in cases of inflammatory skin diseases, after five days.
What types of tests can children have for allergies?
If you want to detect if your child is allergic to certain foods, or even to any other substance such as chemicals, blooms or animals, there are different tests that you can perform; of course, always under the supervision of a specialist. The types of tests established are:
- Puncture test, in which the allergen element is applied to the subcutaneous layers.
- Patch tests, in which the substance is adhered to an adhesive that will stay on the child’s skin for 48 hours.
- Blood tests: the blood samples will examine the levels of antibodies present in the child
- Provocation tests, in which the child will be exposed to the product through the bronchial, oral, conjunctival or nasal route. This last test will be the most used in cases of food allergies.
Pay attention to whether your child suffers from symptoms of food allergies
As a final consideration, it is important that you know that, if you have already identified that your child is allergic to a particular food, you should inform your pediatrician about the situation. Thus, together they will be able to evaluate nutritional alternatives in substitution of the food that must be eliminated from the diet.
This will be very important in the event that your child is allergic, for example to dairy products, since the nutritional contributions of this type of product are essential for the growth of the little ones.
