A food allergy occurs when a person's immune system identifies proteins in a food as an allergenic and begins to produce antibodies- called IgE or Immunoglobulin E- to guard against that food (e.g. milk, or tree nuts). These antibodies attach themselves to mast cells in the body, and when the person again eats the allergenic food, the proteins from it become attached to the IgE antibodies. This causes the mast cells to break apart, releasing histamine and other powerful chemicals. These are the chemicals that cause the symptoms of allergy.
THE SYMPTOMS
Not everyone will get all symptoms, and severity varies. Some of these symptoms include:
-Tingling in the mouth
-Swelling of the tongue and throat
-Itchy skin, hives or skin redness
-Breathing difficulty
-Abdominal cramps
-Vomiting
-Faintness due to a sudden drop in blood pressure
-In a severe anaphylactic reaction, the allergic person can lose consciousness and is at risk of death.
The information above was Taken from Allergic Living Magazine
It is common for people to feel drawn to eating the foods they are allergic to. When defending itself from the allergy, the body releases adrenaline into the bloodstream. Some may associate this adrenaline rush with a sense of pleasure that comes from the food, though what they are really experiencing is a stress response caused by an allergic reaction.
Sincerely,
Dr Paul Smith & Team
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