Do you ever notice any sort of weird reaction when you eat certain foods?
If so, you may be one of the millions of Americans that have a food allergy!
An allergy is best explained as when your immune system has an overreaction to a certain substance. Your best friend may be able to have ten dogs at their house. They come over to your house and just being around that person causes your eyes to water.
Our immune systems are not perfect. If your immune system reacts negatively to a food, you can experience a variety of symptoms. They may be barely noticeable reactions, or quite severe.
Nobody has the same immune response, so it’s important to understand what your “normal” is in order to determine whether or not you have an allergy. Allergies can affect you in many different ways, and in different areas of the body.
Some of the most common signs of a reaction are as follows:
- All over your body: general itchiness, swelling, eczema (rash), hives (raised, red, itchy bumps)
- In your mouth: swelling, itching, or tingling
- Respiratory: difficulty breathing, congestion, coughing, or wheezing
- Digestive: diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, or sharp pain
- Balance: fainting, dizziness, or lightheadedness
If you do experience any of these symptoms, try to pinpoint the source.
If you had some funky dish at a new restaurant, and go home covered in hives – guess what! It is very important to try to identify what caused your reaction, so you can avoid it in the future.
In the event that you find yourself constantly experiencing the symptoms of a food allergy, it may behoove you to go get an allergy test done.
The most common method is a skin prick. Basically your skin is scraped/pricked with a needle containing the offending substance. Then the doctor watches your skin for a reaction.
Food allergies can be mild or severe, so if you’ve ever had a reaction to something, chances are there are other things you’re probably allergic to.
There can be some foods you can eat or drink, but if they touch your skin you break out.
Allergies are unpredictable, so if you suspect that you are having a reaction, stop into your local Urgent Care Clinic to be evaluated to determine the severity of the reaction, and what you should do to combat the various reactions.