8 Non-prescription Solutions to alleviate Food Allergies

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Description:
The food allergy is hypersensitivity to edible substance.

The top 8 food allergens are: Milk, eggs, Peanuts, Tree nuts (such as almonds, cashews, Walnuts), Fish (such as cod, bass, flounder), Shellfish (such as crab, lobster, shrimp), Soy and Wheat. However, the list of food allergens is enormous.

If you are not sure whether you have allergies to any items then ask your doctor about doing a skin test and / or a blood test. However, these tests are sometimes not completely accurate and they may or may not show up in the tests. Our doctor has prescribed EpiPen, an injection needed for emergency situations, due to severity of our son's food allergy.

Kids may outgrow allergies after certain age. Conversely, new allergies can develop in adults late in life.

Symptom: There are multiple symptoms of food allergies. Food allergy symptoms range from causing minor irritation to fatal reaction in the body. These include but not limited to Asthma, Gas, Abdominal pain with bloating, Chronic diarrhea, Bone and joint pain, Muscle cramps, Seizures, Ulcer in mouth, Itchy skin rash, gastrointestinal pain. Women can have missed menstrual periods, Infertility and anemia.

8 Non-Prescription tips to alleviate food allergies are:

1. Diet: Avoiding food with allergens is by far the best way to avoid reactions.
Person with severe allergies should carry their own food whenever a trusted source of food is not accessible.

2. Food Log: Start a food log if you are having allergic reactions but are unable to figure out which foods you are allergic to. Consistently keeping logs over a period of time can help isolate the allergens.

3. Ingredient Labels: Read ingredient label before using them. Food allergies can get aggravated if one is not careful to weed out products which contain the allergens. Don't be shy to call the number of the manufacturer listed on the product, when unsure of the content.

4. Discipline: People who have severe food allergies should
- not share food with friends or family to avoid cross-contamination.
- not touch cafeteria table while eating since it is possible that some allergens might have not been properly wiped off the table.
- not be kissed by others esp. if the person has had some foods with allergens

5. Avoid Surprises:
- Some unexpected things that can have food allergens are stamps, envelopes adhesive, medicines, vitamins. - Other products that may contain food allergens are perfumes, make-ups, soaps, household cleaners.
- Avoid sharing the same sponge for the table and utensil cleaning.
- Be careful of imported foods which might not abide by U.S. food labeling laws.
- Be careful when heating food in a microwave. If you are warming coffee or tea in the microwave or something with nuts and soon thereafter heat your kid's meal then there is a potential for cross-contamination. If a person or kid is severely allergic to milk or nuts then they could get a reaction due to air-borne particles in the microwave.
- One might have to completely remove allergens from the house if the kid has severe allergies.

6. Positive Attitude and Breathing Exercise: Keeping a positive attitude can not only help increase your chance of fighting the disease. Depression is most often noticed in people with food allergies. Laugh often and much or join laughing clubs as being happy produces hormones in body which help fight all kinds of diseases. Breathing Exercise that are used in Yoga can be used which will help in healthy living.

7. Join Support Group / Forums to discuss and share your knowledge, as experience is the best teacher. Exchange notes with others to get tips to alleviate the effect of food allergies. The positive side of food allergy is that when attending support groups or parties, the time is spent socializing rather than eating.

8. Caregivers: Caregivers should not take food allergies lightly.

It's ok to ask the loved one what they are allergic to. It shows that you care and will generally not be seen as being nosy especially if you are inviting them to your house. Check the nearest grocery store and read ingredient labels carefully before preparing food for them.

Cross-contamination is a big deal for people with allergies. Make sure that you don't use kitchen utensils that have touched foods that the guest or loved one is allergic to.

Special attention for Kids:
Ask your guests not to show their love by sharing food with little kids with allergies. Just one bite can be fatal for the little kid.
Ask your guests to avoid temptation to kiss the pretty and cuddly kids who has food allergies
Depending on the kid's allergies, make Fruit Sorbet or fresh fruit salad or use the fruits and mix it with ice in a blender for a great tasting smoothie.

However, don't go overboard either, such that the person feels that they are a burden on you.

The Hope: There are several institutions researching a cure for food allergies and there is potential that it may be cured within the next 10 years.
News from Stanford by MedicalNewsToday: Millions who suffer from nut and milk allergies could benefit from Stanford researcher's test