There is no cure, so anyone with a food allergy should carefully avoid foods that trigger a reaction. Always read the labels. Always carry your medication with you, ideally two doses. The main way to control a food allergy is to avoid eating foods that cause problems.
Check the ingredient labels on food products carefully and find out if what you should avoid has other names. While it's critical that you be vigilant when it comes to protecting yourself or your child from an allergic reaction to food, there is an unhealthy level of concern. Do everything you can to avoid exposure, but also try not to focus on the worst-case scenario. Have more realistic ideas about how to prepare in different situations, if they arise.
Even people who are more diligent with their food allergies have reactions. Learning everything you can about food allergies goes a long way toward feeling safe living with food allergies. During an oral food exposure, which is carried out under strict medical supervision, the patient is given small amounts of the suspected trigger food in increasing doses over a period of time, followed by a few hours of observation to see if a reaction occurs. If someone in your household is diagnosed with a food allergy, the safest thing to do is to remove any food containing that ingredient from the house.
Current research is looking for ways to reduce sensitivity to food allergies, and there is a lot of hope for finding therapies that control food allergies in the future. Sometimes an adult may go unnoticed an allergic reaction to a food because symptoms such as vomiting or diarrhea can be mistaken for those of the flu or food poisoning. Because of the possibility of a serious reaction, oral exposure to food should only be performed by experienced allergists in a doctor's office or dietary treatment center, with medications and emergency equipment on hand. If you choose to allow allergens into your home, you run the risk that those foods “contaminate your home and your safe food”.
If you do the test, it should only be done with the food you have had a reaction to and not with other “common” foods. You can help improve the lives of 85 million Americans affected by food allergies and intolerances if you now support food allergy research %26 Education (FARE) with your tax-deductible donation. Currently, for most food allergies, avoiding the food you're allergic to is the only way to protect yourself against a reaction. Allergy-friendly food options vary a lot from city to city, so check local supermarkets, health food stores and specialty markets to see what's available.
Cross-contact occurs when a food allergen comes into contact with a food or item that is not intended to contain that allergen. A food allergic reaction occurs when the immune system overreacts to a food or substance in a food, identifying it as a hazard and triggering a protective response. If you suspect a food allergy, see an allergist, who will review your family and medical history, decide what tests to perform (if any), and use this information to determine if a food allergy exists. They can help ensure that your diet is nutritionally sound and suggest safe foods that you may not have considered.
In some cases, the allergist will recommend an oral food test, which is considered the most accurate way to diagnose a food allergy. .
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