Ah-choo! Was that sneeze due to something you ate? It’s quite possible.
When our immune system reacts abnormally against specific proteins in foods we eat, a food allergy can develop. Sneezing can be one of the symptoms of a food allergy.
Food allergies may run in the family, though different members may be allergic to different foods – which can make meal preparation a real challenge.
Who is at risk?
A child with one parent suffering some kind of food allergy is twice as likely to have a food allergy compared to another whose parents do not have this problem.
Infants and children are more prone to food allergies. Most food allergies tend to diminish as the kids grow older, although some allergies may trail them into adulthood.
Causes
The foods that trigger allergies are varied. In fact, any food is capable of triggering an allergic reaction, though some are more “potent” than others.
Cow’s milk can cause allergy in some young children. About one third of these affected kids outgrow the allergy when they turn three. Other foods that often affect children include:
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Egg |
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Peanuts |
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Wheat |
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Shellfish
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Symptoms
There are two kinds of allergic reactions:
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Delayed
A delayed reaction can take up to two days to manifest itself.
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Immediate
These reactions are more dangerous and can occur within seconds of eating or inhaling vapors of offending foods.
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Typically, the symptoms include:
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Mild Rash |
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Swelling |
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Sneezing |
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Hives |
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Coughing |
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Dermatitis |
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Migraine |
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Wheezing |
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Asthma |
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Diarrhoea |
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Vomiting |
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Loss of consciousness
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Nutritional concerns when managing allergies
Avoiding foods that spell trouble is the best strategy against food allergies, but this is easier said than done. So here are a few pointers:
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Work closely with a doctor or nutritionist to manage the problem, and avoid eliminating essential foods from your child’s diet. It’s important to replace the vital nutrients in omitted foods with safe substitutes.
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Your family doctor will need to know both parents’ medical histories (including any food allergies), as well as the frequency of the child’s allergy problem and any offending foods known to you.
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Your doctor may recommend a restrictive diet and an elimination strategy where suspected foods are removed from their diet and later re-introduced, one at a time, to identify the culprits.
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You should keep a journal of what your child eats, and when and what symptoms occur afterward. |
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Screen food labels for hidden disagreeable ingredients. |
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Ensure an intake of essential vitamins and minerals that step up the body’s resistance to allergies. These include vitamins A, C and E, as well as iron and zinc.
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A note of caution
If you are concerned about allergies, introduce new foods one at a time so that you can monitor your child’s reaction.
This even applies to fruits and vegetables, which can be guilty of triggering allergies in sensitive individuals.
And look out for “relatives” of offending fruits too – known as cross-reactivity. The relationship isn’t always obvious, so this can be tricky. Examples include:
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Plums, peaches and apricots |
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Papaya and pineapple |
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Mango and cashew |
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Guava and banana
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