Food Rash Allergy

One of the many joys of life is the joy of eating. Many cultures even consider every meal time as a feast and a happy time for the family. This type of culture seem to be common all over the world. Being able to eat whatever food you desire is a privileged that everyone should have but unfortunately, not everyone can eat different types of food. Some people have restrictions to the types of food that they can eat. These restrictions can be caused by an existing medical condition in which the most common condition is related to allergies.

An allergy is a type of hypersensitivity disorder in which the immune system reacts on overdrive by releasing excessive activation of certain white bloods cells such as mast cells and basophils by an antibody called immunoglobulin E. This reaction causes a cascading inflammatory response which are responsible for symptoms such as swelling of the nasal passages, inflammation of the sinus, redness and itching of the eyes, sneezing, coughing, rashes, abdominal pain and many more. There are many types of allergic reactions that a human body can manifest. They are caused by certain objects that makes the body react overtly such as dust, venom, bee stings, and many types of food. Among the many types of allergies, food allergy is the most common.

Food allergy by definition is simply the allergic reaction to food. The main component that makes a person allergic to food is the protein. What usually happens during allergic reactions is that, a certain protein found in many foods may cause the body’s immune system to consider it as harmful. This makes a lot of sense because the immune system can detect the bacteria that has entered the body based on the protein found on their surfaces. When the reaction occurs, it manifests itself as skin rash, gastrointestinal distress, and respiratory distress. The most life threatening reaction would have to be respiratory distress since it causes massive vasoconstriction which eventually leads to difficulty breathing. Anaphylactic reactions rarely comes by and it only occurs when a person ingests a highly restrictive food item. Skin rash on the other hand are very common.

They start with a simple itch that offers no relief even when scratched. In rare and severe cases, the rash eventually develops into hives which are elevated skin lesions that appear like small bumps. The reaction may progress to edema because of the massive fluid shift and the formation of exudate brought about by the inflammatory process. Important precautions have to be kept in mind when taking care of a person with allergies. Keeping restricted foods away from a person with allergies should be done.

If the allergy has settled in, it is important to treat it right away. Rashes can be treated with prescribed ointment or lotions. If previously known anaphylactic reactions have been recorded, then it is very important to carry around a dose of epinephrine to prevent complications or even death. No matter how the food smells or how it looks, as long as you are allergic, then it is always safe to just turn away.