Food Allergies

Friday, June 14, 2002

 

Can what you eat make you sick? Sometimes. In today’s Sixty Second Housecall, Dr. Ken Davis talks about common food allergies.

 

All foods contain various proteins that enter the bloodstream along with other nutrients. If you have a food allergy, the presence of specific protein in the bloodstream triggers the release of antibodies to fight what your body believes to be a foreign substance.

 

The fight between the antibodies and the antigens affects people differently. The most common reactions are skin rashes and an upset stomach. Some people may wheeze or get a runny or stuffy nose. In severe cases, the person can experience anaphylactic shock with lowered blood pressure and difficulty breathing.

 

You may have an allergic reaction the first time you eat a food or the hundredth time. But once the reaction does occur, you can generally count on it to happen every time. Peanuts are the most common offender, and rounding out the top 10 are fish, shellfish, tomatoes, citrus fruit, seeds (like sesame seeds), nuts, wheat, eggs and milk. The good news is that most people outgrow their food allergies or become able to tolerate the food in limited amounts. For those who don’t, the treatment is simple—avoid that food.

 

For more information on allergies, log on to wtva.com and click on Sixty Second Housecall. For North Mississippi Medical Center, I’m Dr. Ken Davis.

 

Dr. Davis says the best way to reduce your risk of developing a food allergy is to eat a wide variety of foods. To learn more, visit wtva.com.