Conditions

Food Allergies

An allergy is a hypersensitive reaction to a normally harmless substance. Allergic reactions to food can occur immediately, or they can be delayed and take days to surface. A delayed allergic reaction can make it more difficult to pinpoint the allergen.

Signs and Symptoms:

Common symptoms include:

• Respiratory congestion
• Eye inflammation
• Dark circles/puffiness under the eyes
• Swelling
• Itching
• Hives
• Unexplained fluid retention
• Stomach upset
• Vomiting
• Swelling or itching lips, tongue, and mouth
• Itching or tightness in the throat

Food allergies can also contribute to chronic health problems. These can include: acne, asthma, anxiety, bladder infections, swollen glands, sinusitis, diarrhea, ear infections, eczema, fatigue, hay fever, headache, irritability, joint pain, chronic runny nose, mood swings, sleep disturbances, feelings of disorientation, difficulty maintaining concentration, intestinal irritation, and swelling that interferes with the absorption of vitamins and minerals.

Diagnosis:

Your doctor will conduct a physical exam and take a complete medical history. Then he or she may try any of the following diagnostic procedures:

• RAST test and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) - these are generally more useful in ruling out a food allergy than diagnosing one.
• In rare cases of gastric inflammation, an upper GI series may be needed.
• An elimination diet that's supervised by your doctor. This procedure involves removing all possible food allergens from your diet and then slowly adding them back, one by one, until a reaction is noted.
• Skin tests (also known as scratch tests) that measure a person's reactions to superficial contact with suspected allergens can determine or rule out a food allergy.
• Challenge or provocative testing involves placing food extracts under the tongue or injecting them under the skin. However, this test tends to be expensive and unreliable. Provoking symptoms is not advised for patients who have experienced anaphylactic reactions to foods, insect stings, or medications.

Treatment Options:

There is no cure for food allergies. Managing them usually means avoiding offending foods and treating symptoms when they occur. If the problem involves food intolerance, a registered dietitian may be helpful in guiding the patient so that reactions are minimized, thus avoiding unnecessary food restrictions.

Usually, once the food is eliminated from the diet, symptoms will abate. However, avoidance may not always be possible. For example, the substance may be present as an unspecified additive within another food or "hidden" in another form. Other factors such as the amount of the food, which parts of the food are used, or the way in which it is prepared can influence the systemic response. Therefore, treatment may be necessary to address occasional allergic symptoms.

Traditional Treatments:

• The most important part of treating food allergies is to identify ­ and then avoid ­ the foods that are causing the reaction. There are two techniques, the elimination diet and the rotation diet, that enable you to do this.
• In cases of severe multiple food allergies, oral cromolyn sodium (Gastrocrom) may be prescribed as a preventative measure. It is a patented form of a bioflavonoid, and side effects and toxicity are low.
• If you suffer from recurrent allergic reaction, a antihistamine may be recommended.
• Some doctors recommend desensitization therapy for people with allergies. This involves repeated injections of a dilution of the offending food. Desensitization has varying degrees of success.
• Antispasmodics, such as hyoscyamine (Levsin, Anaspaz), may be prescribed for diarrhea, nausea, abdominal bloating, and cramping.
• In severe allergic reactions, adrenaline (epinephrine injection) may be needed to treat anaphylactic shock.

Complementary and Alternative Therapies:

Reducing inflammation, minimizing hypersensitivity reactions, and restoring the integrity of the digestive tract are ways in which alternative therapies may help resolve food allergies.

Nutritional Supplementation:

• Take a good hypoallergenic multivitamin and mineral complex daily to ensure a supply of all the major nutrients. It is not uncommon for people with food allergies to absorb and utilize nutrients from food poorly.
• Acidophilus and bifidobacteria improve immune function within the intestines. Take either or both twice a day as recommended on the product label. If you are allergic to milk, be sure to choose dairy-free formulas.
• The antioxidants support the immune system and help to moderate the inflammatory response. Take 5,000 IU of vitamin A, 25,000 IU of beta-carotene, 200 IU of vitamin E, and 100 mg of selenium twice daily.
  Warning: If you are pregnant, intend to get pregnant, or if you have liver disease, consult your doctor before taking supplemental vitamin A. If you are taking blood thinners, consult your physician before taking supplemental vitamin E.
• Calcium and magnesium help to reduce sensitivity and nervousness associated with allergies. Take a combination formula containing 500 mg of calcium and 250 to 300 mg of magnesium twice a day for two to three months.
• Fish oil and flaxseed oil contain essential fatty acids that moderate the inflammatory response, and that are lacking in most foods.
• Take 1 tablespoonful of flaxseed oil daily or 900 mg of fish oil twice a day.
• Glutamine is an amino acid that improves the integrity of cells in the gastrointestinal tract and also acts to diminish the inflammatory response. Take 500 to 1,000 mg of L-glutamine three times a day.
• Take a vitamin B-complex supplement supplying 25 to 50 mg of each of the major B vitamins.
• Talk with your doctor about vitamin B12 injections.
• Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) is a good source of sulfur, a trace mineral that may help to reduce the severity of the allergic response. Take 500 mg three or four times daily, with meals.
• Thymus glandular extract helps to improve immune function. It can be particularly helpful if you have a history of diminished immunity and are prone to developing infections. Take 200 to 300 mg twice daily.
• Vitamin C helps to stimulate immune function. Bioflavonoids have potent anti-allergy and anti-inflammatory properties. Take 1,000 mg of vitamin C, in mineral ascorbate form with bioflavonoids, twice a day for two to three months. Taking additional bioflavonoids, up to 1,000 mg two or three times daily, can provide additional benefits.
• Zinc (10 to 30 mg/day) and beta-carotene (25,000 to 50,000 IU/day) support immune function and encourage healing of mucosal tissues.
• Bromelain (100 to 250 mg between meals) is a proteolytic enzyme that decreases inflammation.
• Pancreatin one to two tablets with meals to enhance digestion.

Alternative Therapies:

• If the food allergy is complicated by chronic upper respiratory problems, take 500 mg of astragalus once or twice a day, with meals, for two or three months.
• Cat's claw slowly helps regulate immune function and has anti-inflammatory benefits. Take 250 to 500 mg of standardized extract two or three times daily.
  Warning: Do not take cat's claw if you are pregnant, nursing, or if you are an organ transplant recipient.
• Consult your doctor before taking cat's claw while on blood thinners.
• Milk thistle contains silymarin, which helps to detoxify the liver and is especially beneficial for food allergies.
• Pine-bark and grape-seed extracts are natural anti-inflammatories that are high in bioflavonoids.
• Siberian ginseng is a tonic herb that helps strengthen the whole body.
• Quercetin minimizes reactions to food.
• Rose hips (Rosa canina) tea is anti-inflammatory, high in hypoallergenic vitamin C, and healing to the digestive tract.
• Marshmallow root tea (Althea officinalis) may soothe and promote healing of gastrointestinal inflammation.
• Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale), celandine (Chelidonium majus), and chicory (Cichorium intybus) stimulate liver function.
• Soothing carminative herbs will enhance digestion and reduce spasm. Choose three or more of the following to make a tea to sip before meals. Chamomile (Matricaria recutita), peppermint (Mentha piperita), passionflower (Passiflora incarnata), meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria), fennel (Foeniculum vulgare), and catnip (Nepeta cataria).
• See your local homeopathic practitioner for a constitutional remedy.

General Recommendations:

A low-functioning adrenal or thyroid gland can be a contributing factor to food allergies. Ask your doctor to check your adrenal and thyroid function.

Warnings:

• Occasionally, an allergic reaction is so severe it can be life threatening. If you develop rapidly spreading hives or difficulty in breathing, have someone drive you to the hospital immediately. If this is not possible, call for emergency help and stress the urgency of the situation. If an emergency adrenaline kit is available, administer it immediately, followed by 25 to 50 mg of an antihistamine such as diphenjydramine (Benadryl). Even after administration of the adrenaline kit, you should seek professional help and evaluation.
• If you are pregnant, intend to get pregnant, or if you have liver disease, consult your doctor before taking supplemental vitamin A.
• If you are taking blood thinners, consult your physician before taking supplemental vitamin E.
• Do not take cat's claw if you are pregnant, nursing, or if you are an organ transplant recipient.
• Consult your doctor before taking cat's claw while on blood thinners.