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A food allergy is caused when the body's immune system
mistakes an ingredient in food, usually a protein, as
harmful and creates a defense system (antibodies) to
fight it. An allergic reaction occurs when the antibodies
battle the "invading" food. Although a person
could have an allergy to almost any food, the following
foods account for almost 90% of all food-related allergic
reactions:
Milk
Eggs
Peanuts
Tree nuts, such as cashews and walnuts
Fish
Shellfish
Soy
Wheat
Strictly avoiding your trigger foods is the only way
to prevent a reaction and maintain control over your
food allergy. To make sure you eat a well-balanced diet
while avoiding your triggers, talk to a registered dietician.
Here are some tips to get your started.
Work
with your healthcare provider to develop a written action
plan that outlines what to do in the case of a reaction.
Make sure your friends and loved ones know what to do
in an emergency.
Always take worsening symptoms seriously.
Diversify your diet by eating fruits and vegetables
that are more exotic, especially if you are allergic
to those that are more common.
Invest in a cookbook with recipes that cater to your
food allergy. In some cases, common food allergens can
be easily removed or substituted in recipes.
Be aware of any changes in how you feel after eating.
Recognizing the onset of a reaction allows you to take
quick action.
Become Label Savvy
Read
all food labels. Learn alternate names for foods to
which you may be allergic. For example, if you are allergic
to milk, you need to avoid products that list the following
in their ingredients: casein, sodium caseinate, lactoglobulin,
and nougat. If you are allergic to eggs, check the ingredients
for egg whites and albumin.
Don't take chances. If a food doesn't have a label and
you don't know for certain what's in it, or if you're
still uncertain after reading the label, contact the
retailer or manufacturer, or just don't eat it.
Always Be Prepared
Be
prepared for an emergency. If you have severe allergies
and have medication to prevent anaphylaxis, carry your
medicine with you at all times in case you accidentally
eat a trigger food. If you have an anaphylactic reaction,
be sure someone knows to take you to the emergency room.
An organization called The Food Allergy Initiative advises
people with food allergies to carry a card that lists
the foods to which they are allergic. The card can be
given to the chef, manager, or server prior to ordering
food at a restaurant.
Take Note of Hidden Sources of Problem Foods
Allergy-triggers
can be found in the least suspecting foods, so keep
the following points in mind.
The
same deli meat slicer used to cut meats is likely used
to cut cheese products, too. When this is done, small
particles of cheese can be transferred to sliced meats.
To add flavor, some restaurants melt butter on steaks
after they have been grilled.
Casein, a milk protein, is sometimes used in canned
meats.
Eggs are sometimes used to create the foam topping on
specialty coffee drinks.
Some ethnic dishes, such as African, Chinese, Indonesian,
Mexican, Thai, and Vietnamese foods, contain peanuts
or are prepared in areas near peanuts.
Some beanbags and hacky sacks are filled with crushed
nutshells.
Some labels use the term "may contain" to
indicate the possible, but unintentional, presence of
foods allergens in their products.
Reviewed
by the doctors at The Cleveland Clinic Department of
Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine.
Edited
by Charlotte E. Grayson, MD, Feb. 2004, WebMD.
Portions
of this page © The Cleveland Clinic 2000-2004
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