Food Allergy

Food allergy is actually an adverse immune response to a particular food protein. Food allergy is harmful as it affects the immune system of the body and can be very critical and fatal in rare conditions. It is very important to treat it immediately as it is diagnosed. The diagnosis of allergy is itself very complicated as it is difficult to make out body is adversely responding to which protein. The allergy causing element is called allergens and can be found in a variety of food products.

Treatment of Food allergies

Prevention is always better than cure. Allergies can be divided into Type I, Type II and Type III allergies. Whereas a type I allergy is a very common one it cure is individual centric and patient has to be aware of the process. Necessary changes in lifestyle and eating pattern can help to cure and prevent this type of allergy. Type I is immunoglobin mediated. Type II may be or may be not IgE mediated. The critical one of all three is Type III allergy which is non IgE mediated and there is no known pattern and cure of such types of allergies. Causes of such allergies include migraine which is not curable. It can only subside the symptoms.

The only possible treatment of the food allergies is to completely avoid the foods that cause allergens to react. Allergies differ from individual to individual. Allergies can be caused by intake of fish, meat, eggs, peanuts, and poultry products, lactose intolerant or dairy products.

Steroids shot

Sometimes a steroid shot is mandatory to treat a allergy which can be long-lasting and problematic.

Epinephrine

These are hormones that cause allergy to subside and let it vent out of the system and helps in combating against sever allergies.

Desensitization

It involves the use of probiotics to develop immune system and also includes immunotherapy and aims at building up the immune system.

These are just simple ways to treat allergies but if you take following precautions it can well be avoided. Completely avoid the problem food and avoidance means not touching or inhaling food, taking allergy medications along with you, staying away from allergen prone areas and sanitizing whenever necessary. Consult proper allergy doctor immediately. 

People manifest allergic reaction to a vast majority of substances, which at times can be as innocuous as dust. The allergist usually asks the patient to maintain a diary, which in most cases helps to determine the allergen. But in some cases the person might have to undertake a few tests to determine the primary cause of the allergy. These tests are often time-consuming and sometimes might not even yield any positive result. And yet they are necessary tool for the allergist to come to a conclusive diagnosis and begin the required treatment. The test procedure includes:

Skin Test

A plastic device is used to scratch the skin with various solutions which may contain insect, food or even airborne particles as a part of skin test. This is a quick test and the result is considered positive if any manifestations on the skin appear within 30 mins.

Patch Test

This test is generally conducted if any delayed reaction is suspected. A patch containing the allergen is placed on the patient’s upper back and marked with an indelible marker. The first observation is made after 48 hrs, if no reaction is seen then a second observation is made after 72- 96 hrs of application. Sometimes a reading might be required as late as 7 days after patch application.

Spirometry

Spirometry is generally conducted in people with asthma, to determine their severity of illness. Accordingly the patient is advised breathing exercises and a management plan is formulated to be followed by them.

Laboratory test

In some cases, allergies can be very hard to detect. In such a case, the allergist near you may assume that a patient is allergic to a particular thing but cannot conclude until further examination is conducted. He may conduct a few tests of the blood to confirm whether there is any immunological problem. But these tests can be very time consuming.

Imaging Techniques

Sometimes some particulate foreign matter might calcarize inside the body cavities resulting in respiratory problem or even CNS involvement. If the expert allergist suspects such a thing then an x-ray or a whole body CT scan can help in arriving at a conclusive diagnosis and further the treatment.

Allergies or allergic diseases are known to almost every human being on this planet earth, Almost 20% of human population suffer from an allergic reaction at some point in a lifetime. Runny nose, rashes and itchy eyes are the most common symptoms that you are suffering from some kind of allergy.

Introduction of Ocular allergies

Ocular allergy means inflammation or even redness of conjunctival surface due to immunological changes induced by some allergen. And it happens because of the raised levels of mast cells in the tissues of the surface area which in return causes allergic reaction. When the combination of mast cells, eosinophils and lymphocytes get involved or interacts with immunoglobin E, the allergy caused can be of severe kind and hence in this case the probability of corneal participation is high.

Types of Ocular allergies and Reasons behind them!

1. Seasonal Allergic conjunctivitis: It is one of the most common types of ocular allergy and happens because of the reaction to the ragweed pollen and related allergens which are generally found due to change of season.

2. Perennial Allergic conjunctivitis: It is a type of seasonal ocular allergy but can happen again and again due to a specific allergen in the environment.

3. Vernal conjunctivitis: It happens when the seasonal ocular allergy becomes chronic. Though it is not a very common type of allergy but can be seen in children. It is a severe kind of ocular allergy and can cause substantial itching and redness in eyes of the children.

4. Giant Papillary conjunctivitis: It basically happens because of irritation or hurt caused by wearing contact lenses or by any surface debris which can cause bumps or papilla inside the lids.

5. Contact Dermatitis: It is rare but can happen as a serious reaction to an allergen which can cause flaky, itchy and scaly skin on face and on even eyes. Regular itching can make it worse.

Treatment

The treatment of the ocular allergy depends upon the type of the allergy a patient is suffering from. Surface allergies such as contact dermatitis can subside by cool compresses but it is the initial step to cure it, for further treatment oral medication is required. For oral treatment antihistamine, vasoconstrictors and mast cell stabilizers provide best results but in severe cases patanol and pataday can be used for quick relief. For very severe reactions patient can be put on steroids for better results but no medication should be taken without consulting the allergy doctor as there are chances of side effects.