How to Cope With Food Allergies

Guido R. Zanni

A food allergy can negatively affect your health. It occurs when an individual is exposed to a particular food. The first time you eat the offending food, your immune system creates disease-fighting antibodies. When you eat the food again, your body treats it as a foreign invader and attempts to get rid of it. It does this by releasing a substance called histamine. Histamine is a powerful chemical that affects the skin, gastrointestinal tract and respiratory and cardiovascular systems. Symptoms may appear immediately or up to two hours later. The severity of the reaction depends on your sensitivity to the food and how much you ate. An individual does not necessarily have to eat the food to have a reaction. Inhaling particles of the food or having the food contact the skin can cause mild reactions.

When a food allergy is severe, it may lead to a life-threatening allergic reaction called anaphylaxis. Symptoms include itching, swelling of the lips or tongue, difficulty swallowing, hoarseness, shortness of breath, coughing, wheezing, chest pain, a weak pulse, dizziness, vomiting, diarrhea and cramps. People generally experience two or more symptoms. Ninety percent of deaths from food allergies are caused by allergic reactions to peanuts or tree nuts. While most allergic reactions occur within two hours of eating the food, anaphylaxis can occur within four to eight hours. Call 911 if you or others experience severe symptoms, such as difficulty breathing. Death may occur within 30 minutes. Just because the initial symptoms may be mild, there is no way of knowing if the symptoms will progress to anaphylaxis. If in doubt, call 911. An attempt to "wait it out" can be a fatal mistake.

[Read: How a Child, Near Death, Survived an Allergic Reaction .]

The number of individuals with food allergies has steadily increased in the past 20 years (an 18 percent increase). Approximately 6 percent of children have food allergies. One-third of children with food allergies also have asthma, which increases their risk for anaphylaxis. If you suspect that you or your child has a food allergy, see an allergy specialist, who can identify the food or foods causing an allergic reaction. Allergy specialists often administer a skin prick test. Needles with tiny amounts of food extract pierce the skin's surface. Swelling or redness around one of the needle sites confirms that you are allergic to that particular food.

Food allergy symptoms:

-- Hives

-- Flushed skin or a rash

-- Tingling or itchy sensation in the mouth

-- Swelling of the face, tongue or lips

-- Vomiting and/or diarrhea

-- Stomach cramps

-- Coughing

-- Wheezing

-- Dizziness

-- Swelling of the throat

-- Difficulty breathing

-- Loss of consciousness

Common food allergies

More than 170 foods can cause allergic reactions. The following eight foods account for 90 percent of allergic reactions: milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat and soybeans. Generally, a person who is allergic to one type of food, like shrimp, will also be allergic to other foods in the same category. For example, if you are allergic to shrimp, you will likely be allergic to all shellfish. This is called cross-reactivity.

[Read: How Adrian Peterson Copes With Severe Food Allergies .]

Coping strategies

Reading labels is critical. The law requires manufacturers to list all ingredients in a product. If the product contains a known food allergen, it must be listed on the label. Manufacturers must also list the unintentional presence of food allergens that may result from cross-contact during food processing. For example, if a machine processes peanut butter and is later used to process another food, the second food may contain trace amounts of peanut butter. In these cases, the label notes "may contain peanuts." If a label is confusing, do not buy the product. Here are other coping strategies:

-- Be cautious when buying foods without labels, such as a cake from a pastry shop. Avoid all foods for which you are unsure of the ingredients.

-- Avoid foods that may have cross-contact with other foods.

-- Keep a food diary that tracks the foods you eat, your symptoms and how long after eating the symptoms appear. This helps identify the food allergy.

-- Avoid high-risk food situations (like buffets) where accidental food ingestion can occur.

-- Ask your doctor for a written emergency management plan. Share this plan with your child's teachers. Inform others that your child is carrying an EpiPen.

-- Always wear a medical band noting food allergies. Carry the name and telephone number of an emergency contact.

-- If you are prescribed an injectable epinephrine pen, always carry it with you. If you are not sure how to use the pen, ask your doctor to demonstrate how it is used. Routinely check the expiration date on the pen. Carry two pens in case one malfunctions.

-- When eating out, inform your server of your food allergy. Do this even if you had the same meal in a different restaurant. Different chefs may use different ingredients.

-- After you use an EpiPen, dial 911 immediately.

[Read: One Mom's Story: Why Every School Needs an EpiPen .]

Note: This article was originally published on April 14, 2014 on PharmacyTimes.com. It has been edited and republished by U.S. News. The original version, with references, can be seen here.