Recognizing Food Allergy Symptoms In Kids
If you can learn to recognize the sometimes elusive symptoms of child food allergies, you can use that information to help identify food allergy triggers; recognition of food allergy symptoms in kids is also helpful so that you can come up with a good child food allergy plan with the help of your child's doctor.
A Variety Of Food Allergy Symptoms In Kids
Food allergy symptoms in kids may come on very suddenly and look like classic allergic reactions, or they may be delayed for as much as three days as the digestion and absorption process works to move food and food chemicals through the body.
Food allergy symptoms in kids also vary depending on a number of individual factors, including how much of an allergenic food has been taken in, how much the child has been exposed to the allergenic food in the past, and how sensitive the child is to the specific allergen.
Child food allergies can be categorized as either "Fixed"-meaning they are fairly apparent and result from a typical allergic response to the immune antibody immunoglobulin E-or "Cyclic"-meaning they are related to a response to immunoglobulin G and come on as the allergen progresses through the digestion/absorption process; Cyclic child food allergies are much more common, but much harder to recognize and diagnose (cyclic food allergies are what many medical personnel call food intolerance).
Food allergy symptoms in kids that may present more traditionally include:
* Oral Allergy Syndrome-itchiness in the mouth and throat when food is swallowed
* Hives-near mouth or widespread on the body as food allergens are digested
* Skin Rash
* Nasal allergy symptoms, including itchy nose, runny nose, stuffy nose, or congestion
Other food allergy symptoms in kids may be less obviously food-allergy related, including:
* Stomach upset and nausea
* Vomiting
* Abdominal cramping
* Diarrhea
* Constipation
* Asthma, asthma-like symptoms, and breathing difficulties
* Eczema
Parents may not realize that an eczema skin rash can be food allergy related, but to those in the know, eczema is a common food allergy symptom in kids and the presence of food allergies and eczema are closely linked in children.
Severe Food Allergy Symptoms in Kids
Most food allergies are mild to moderate annoyances, but a small percentage of children do suffer from severe and sometimes life-threatening food allergy symptoms, including anaphylactic shock.
When anaphylaxis occurs, children may have swelling that affects the mouth, throat, and airways–which results in difficulty breathing, may experience a rapid drop in blood pressure, and may experience dizziness, confusion, hives, and loss of consciousness. Children experiencing a severe reaction and/or anaphylaxis need immediate emergency medical help. Anaphylaxis may come on immediately after contact with an allergenic food, or it may come on within two hours; anaphylaxis may also come back after initially subsiding (after medical treatment), so children who have had a severe allergic food reaction must seek follow-up treatment and remain under medical watch.
Although the overall numbers of children experiencing severe food allergy symptoms is small, some children are at increased risk; children with asthma, seasonal allergies or hay fever, and eczema tend to be more prone to severe food allergy symptoms. Of the serious food allergy reactions in kids, the largest percentage is due to peanut allergy (as much as 80%).
If your child has experienced a severe food allergy, or if you notice food allergy symptoms in your child worsening, you should talk to his or her doctor about carrying injectable epinephrine; injectable epinephrine is pharmaceutical adrenaline which is used to combat a severe reaction. It is meant as an emergency measure to rescue a child until medical help can reach them or until they can reach a medical facility. Because of the need for follow up care, any child who has used injectable epinephrine should go to an emergency room for further evaluation immediately.
Fortunately, most food allergy symptoms in kids are not nearly so severe, and many child food allergies will be outgrown. In either case, recognizing the symptoms of food allergies in kids is greatly beneficial to children dealing with food allergies so that the best course of avoidance and treatment can be found.
Recommended Reading
- Recognizing Child Allergy Symptoms
- Food Allergies and Kids
- Methods Of Food Allergy Testing For Children
- Allergy Information For Kids With Allergies
- How To Tell Sinus Infection In Kids
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