Introduction
Food allergy or food allergy is a special form of food intolerance, which is characterized by a hypersensitivity reaction of the immune system to foods or components of these foods (the food allergens) in the diet. This specific immune reaction distinguishes food allergy from simple, non-immunological food intolerance, which includes lactose intolerance due to lactase deficiency. The extent of the allergic reaction and its symptoms can vary greatly from person to person.
However, swelling of the entire mouth, nose and throat mucosa, symptoms of the gastrointestinal tract and skin rashes are characteristic. In extreme cases, a food allergy can lead to life-threatening anaphylactic shock. Food allergy belongs to the immediate type of allergies (Type I allergy). In general, a food allergy can occur at any time and at any age. However, in many cases it appears for the first time in the first months of life or between the ages of 15 and 35.
Allergens
Depending on age, different foods can trigger an allergy. Thus, babies and toddlers react mainly to Adults, on the other hand, show hypersensitivity especially to nuts, peanuts, fish and shellfish. In most cases, however, food allergies in adulthood are not caused by an antibody – antigen reaction with the food that is not tolerated, but by a secondary food allergy.
A secondary food allergy is when the food allergy is caused by another allergy, such as an allergy to pollen. In infants and toddlers, milk, soy, egg and wheat allergies “grow together” over time, whereas an allergy to nuts, peanuts, fish and shellfish remains. However, if a food allergy occurs in adulthood, it will remain a lifelong companion. and wheat allergy
- Milk
- Soya
- Egg
- Wheat
- Nuts/peanuts
- Fish and
- Shellfish
What types of food allergies are there?
Basically, you can be allergic to any food, even if some substances cause allergy in more people than others. These can also be substances that are biochemically similar to other substances, for example in their molecular structure. In these special cases one speaks then of a cross allergy.
In addition, however, the allergic reactions caused by a food allergy can at most be classified symptomatically. It is not known that a certain food would always trigger the same symptom in different allergy sufferers. A food allergy is usually a type I allergic reaction. This means that the symptoms appear extremely quickly and very acutely after contact with the allergenic substance. More rare are reactions that occur hours later.
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