Week Of Food Allergy Awareness



Australia declared May 16 -20 as Food Allergy Awareness Week, with the aim of making people more aware of food allergies and offer support to those at risk of anaphylixis, (extreme reaction).

Food allergies occur in around 1 in 20 children and about 1 in 100 adults, says the Australian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergies. Most child food allergies are however, expected to disappear with age.

Reactions to food allergies are impacted by a variety of things:

• Presence or absence of asthma
• Amount eaten
• Cooked food is sometimes better tolerated
• Whether it is eaten on its own or mixed in with other foods
• Form of the food (liquid may sometimes be absorbed faster)
• Severity of the allergy
• Exercise around the same time as the meal may worsen severity.

Food allergy is an overreaction of the body's immune system, usually to a protein. The symptoms can prove to be life threatening and frequently include:

• Skin rash (eczema)
• Itching, burning and swelling around the mouth
• Diarrhoea, abdominal cramps
• Runny nose
• Hives (urticaria - skin becomes red and raised)
• Vomiting, nausea.
• Breathing difficulties, including wheezing and asthma

Eggs, nuts, milk or soy cause about 90 per cent of food allergies. Seafood and some fruit and berries can also cause an allergic reaction, including MSG and sulphite derivatives. Peanut allergy is one of the most common allergies in older children.

The real number of food allergic sufferers lingers around 8% for children and 5% for adults, according to a new report commissioned by the American federal government.

"Everyone has a different definition of a food allergy," Dr. Jennifer J. Schneider Chafen said. She was the lead author of the new report."Many people have food intolerance instead."

Food intolerance, which is much more prevalent than food allergy, is a chemical reaction to a specific ingredient, or food. This is not an immune reaction.
The reaction to food intolerance may include:

• Tightness across the face and chest
• Nervousness, tremor
• Breathing problems - asthma-like symptoms
• Allergy-like reactions.
• Palpitations
• Sweating
• Rapid breathing
• Diarrhoea
• Headache, migraine
• Burning sensations on the skin

The foods that tend to create intolerance response in sensitive people, include chocolate, egg, MSG, pepper, dairy products, histamine, red wine and amines in food.

About Week Of Food Allergy Awareness
For more information: http://www.tropicpost.com/food-allergy-awareness-week/


###
Dr Wendy Stenberg-Tendys and her husband are CEO's of YouMe Support Foundation (http://youmesupport.org) provide high school education grants for children who are without hope. You can help in this really great project by taking a few minutes to check out the Sponsor a Student program at Win a Resort (http://winaresort.com). It really will change your life and the life of some really needy kids. Feel free to contact Wendy on admin@youmesupport.org
Company: YouMe Support Foundation & Child Trust Fund with Win a Resort
Contact Name: LynThomas
Contact Email: admin@youmesupport.org
Contact Phone: 678 26551

Visit website »