Food Allergy

Food allergy is an immune reaction of the body to certain products, which can manifest as a rash and itching, swelling, abdominal pain or even difficulty breathing. It is difficult to determine the “culprit” product without professional help: a reaction can be provoked by both individual ingredients (for example, milk proteins, nuts or seafood), and their combination, and symptoms sometimes occur hours after eating.

At the Oxford Medical Medical Center, doctors use a comprehensive approach. First, they carefully analyze the anamnesis and eating habits, then conduct allergy tests and other examinations to accurately identify allergens, after which they form an individual treatment plan.

Make an appointment with an allergist at Oxford Medical at a time convenient for you.

Allergic reactions of the body to food can vary in nature and severity. In some people, they occur immediately after eating the product, and in others, only after a few hours.

The most common symptoms of food allergies:

• Itching, redness and hives are the most common manifestations on the skin. Often, a food allergy appears on the face in the form of a rash or swelling, and sometimes with a food allergy, the rash covers the neck, arms, legs or even the entire body.
• Abdominal pain, nausea, bloating, vomiting or diarrhea. Such reactions can be late, which makes it difficult to determine a specific allergen.
• Runny nose, nasal congestion, cough, sneezing or difficulty breathing. The combination of such symptoms with swelling of the lips or eyelids is a signal to urgently consult a doctor.
• Weakness, headache, dizziness, a feeling of rapid fatigue. Such symptoms may occur along with other reactions of the body and indicate the systemic nature of the food allergy.

A particularly dangerous situation is when an acute food allergy develops: swelling of the tongue or throat, severe difficulty breathing, dizziness, low blood pressure. This is an emergency that requires urgent medical attention.

Although allergic reactions are more often associated with childhood, food allergies in adults are not uncommon and have their own characteristics. They can develop even in people who have consumed certain foods without problems for years. The trigger is a malfunction in the immune system, when the body begins to perceive familiar food as a dangerous factor.

Among the main causes:

• hereditary predisposition - if one of the parents has allergic diseases, the risk increases;
• chronic diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, which change the protective functions of the mucous membrane;
• infections and prolonged use of antibiotics, which disrupt the intestinal microflora;
• stress and fatigue, which weaken the immune system and reduce its resistance to external stimuli.

In addition, certain eating habits increase the risk. Sometimes reactions are provoked by food allergens contained in complex dishes, ready-made foods or drinks. These can be both natural ingredients and additives – dyes, preservatives, flavor enhancers, flavorings. A monotonous diet is also dangerous: frequent consumption of the same product increases the load on the immune system, which is why even a familiar ingredient can cause an unwanted reaction over time.

In addition to food, some drinks, such as coffee or red wine, can also provoke allergies. Often, undesirable reactions occur after ready-made dishes, which even in small quantities contain potentially dangerous ingredients. Allergy to sweets is also common, but in most cases the cause is not sugar itself, but impurities - dyes and preservatives. If a rash appears from sweets, it is important to consult a doctor and get tested.

It is worth remembering: the set of allergens is always individual. Some people are sensitive to vegetables or fruits, while others are sensitive to meat or drinks. Therefore, it is possible to finally identify dangerous products only after consulting a doctor and conducting special tests.

To find out which product is causing the reaction, the following methods are used:

• Skin prick tests. Drops of substances containing possible allergens are applied to the skin, and then small scratches are made. If redness or a blister appears, this is a signal that the product may cause an allergy.
• Blood test for specific IgE. Blood is taken from a vein, after which it is analyzed whether the immune system reacts to certain food allergens.
• Component diagnostics. This is a blood test that helps determine which protein in the product the body is reacting to. This is important for understanding how dangerous the reaction can be.
• Elimination diet. The doctor asks you to temporarily exclude suspicious products from your diet, and then gradually return them to your diet. This is how they find out what exactly causes the symptoms.
• Provocation tests. Under the supervision of a doctor, the patient receives a small amount of a possible allergen. If a reaction occurs, it is immediately recorded, and the patient is provided with appropriate medical care.

In most cases, multiple methods are used to obtain the most accurate results. This allows you to distinguish food allergies from other conditions and create an effective treatment plan.

The cost of treatment depends on the chosen method of therapy, which the doctor determines after conducting diagnostics and assessing the patient's condition. You can find out the cost of an allergist consultation here. To make an appointment with an allergist, call our call center or fill out the form online. In our clinic you can receive all medical services in Kyiv or Irpen.