Avoiding dangerous reaction to food allergies is vital

Food allergies have been a popular topic in the news lately. Many of us have heard the nightmare story abut the teenage girl who kissed her boyfriend and died from a reaction to the peanut residue on his lips. While this story is extreme, true food allergies can be very serious business indeed.

Luckily, true food allergies are pretty rare — according to the FDA, only about one and a half percent of adults and six percent of children suffer from food allergies. Adults are most commonly allergic to nuts and shellfish, while children are often allergic to milk and soy products. In line with this data, what some of us perceive as a food allergy may in fact be a food intolerance or sensitivity.

A true food allergy has distinct symptoms that can range from mild to severe. Some of the most common symptoms are a rash or hives, stomach pain or nausea, itchy skin, shortness of breath, and swelling of the air passages. The most severe reaction is anaphylaxis — a condition in which blood pressure drops and swelling occurs in the bronchial tissues. This can lead to shock and even death, if not treated immediately.

Most people with food allergies know who they are — perhaps they've been allergic since childhood, or have noticed increasingly severe reactions to certain foods over the years. The best way to avoid allergic reaction is to avoid the foods you are allergic to. Though this sounds like common sense, it can be tricky business.

There you are, Mr. Shellfish Allergy, at your neighbor's Christmas party, enjoying the puupuu platter when you pop an innocent looking cheese puff in your mouth. What you don't know is that this particular cheese puff was made by the host's Great-Aunt Betty who grew up in Louisiana and puts crawfish in everything. Next thing you know, your face swells up and your heart starts to race and the reaction is on.

What's happening is an immune system response. For some reason, usually a genetic predisposition, your body views a certain food as harmful. Every time you eat that food, your body goes into attack mode and an allergic reaction occurs.

If you have a food allergy, you must be responsible for what you eat. If you're out at someone's house or even at a restaurant, ask what's in a dish before you put it in your mouth. If your child has a known food allergy, be responsible for them. Make sure that the foods they eat are safe.

If something gets past your vigilance and a reaction does occur, get help immediately. If you have a known severe allergy, most likely your physician has supplied you with an epi-pen or epinephrine injection. This medication counter-acts the immune system reaction and can save your life.

A food intolerance is an entirely different matter. Almost all of us have had or will have some kind of bad food reaction in our lives. While many of us will forever live in terror of that particular food and avoid it like the plague, most likely it was a one-time occurrence.

The most common cause of a food intolerance reaction is bacterial contamination. After eating at a questionable restaurant, you may experience a violent and very unpleasant reaction to a certain dish. This most likely does not indicate a food allergy, but rather your body's rejection of improperly or under cooked food.

Another common food intolerance is to milk or dairy products. This is caused by a deficiency of lact se, the enzyme that allows people to digest the lactose sugar in milk and dairy. Many people have lactose intolerance and luckily there are many lactose-free products and over-the-counter solutions to this particular problem available in your local supermarket.

Ask your doctor if you have any questions regarding sensitivity or a reaction to a particular food. If you are worried that you or your child might have an allergy, tests can be performed to find out for sure. Avoid that particular food as well as similar foods until the problem is diagnosed. For example, if a reaction occurred while eating lobster, avoid eating all shellfish for the time being.

If you know you have a food allergy or intolerance, remember to be proactive about what you eat. Ask questions and don't worry about being thought rude. I'm sure your hostess would rather have you skip the peanut-crusted chicken than have to call 911 because you were too embarrassed to tell her you were allergic to nuts!