What causes severe allergies to food?

Question

My 3 year old nephew is allergic to peanuts, milk and eggs. Does anyone else have this problem, how do you deal with it? Will it ever go away? What do you think is the cause?

Answer 1

Your nephew is allergic to the proteins found in the peanuts, milk and eggs. The severity of allergy, depends on the type of food, and amount eaten.

Peanut allergies being the most server and most life threatening. Even a minuet amount can be fatal. So finding out as much as possible about allergies, and learning to read labels, and asking what is in counter food/s is vital.

Allergies tend to run in families. Is their any other family members with allergies, both sides?

Given your nephew is unable to tell people he is allergic to certain foods, he needs to have a list of allergies, taken with him every where, maybe a t-shirt stating he has allergies to peanuts etc. (I know a little boy who wears his t-shirt when ever at pre-school and friends parties etc).

Learn to look for signs of a allergic reaction occurring, and how to treat/manage in a emergency. There is a course on how to administer the Epi - pen, for Anaphylaxis, maybe insure your CPR is up to date too.

As for ever going away or out grow I can not say, you either are lucky that you grow out of it, or your stuck with it for life.

The top link I have included is very useful web site about allergies, and has what is called the "Fail safe diet". Sue is a psychology graduate and former high school teacher her husband Dr Howard Dengate, a food scientist.

Symptoms of allergies can be itchy, runny nose, mouth and throat, particularly for eaten foods, hives, rash, tummy cramps, nausea and vomiting or diarrhoea, asthma, persistent coughing, and Anapyylaxis Shock.

For Anaphylaxis shock symptoms
Breathing difficulty
Swelling in the face, throat, and tongue (especially if food allergy)
Rapid drop in blood pressure
Dizziness
Unconsciousness
Hives
Tightness of the throat
Hoarse voice
Nausea
Vomiting
Abdominal pain
Diarrhoea
Lightheartedness

Anaphylaxis can happen within seconds of being exposed to a triggering food, chemical, drug or insect bite, but can be delayed for up to 2 hours if the reaction is from a food. It can involve various areas of the body.

This is an medical emergency and must seek medical attention immediately, and if a Epi-pen is available, and you have been taught how to use it then administer, or you may be told how to administer it by the emergency operator on the phone.

Be prepared to do CPR if victim stops breathing.

Hope this information helps, and good luck

Answer 2

No, but i now someone who is. What causes severe allergies to food is the esophagus itself.
sometimes it doesn't tolerate foods, so the throat swells.

Answer 3

It is very slightly possible that he'll outgrow his allergies, but don't count on it.

Cause - it's an immune reaction (rather, OVER-reaction), and can be deadly.

Answer 4

when your body overeacts and treats normal things as harmful substances.

heres a link that you can look into

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allergy