An allergy is the abnormal immune system response experienced by a person when their immune system attacks a healthy part of the body or a harmless foreign object because it judges that part or object to be harmful to the body. The human body has a natural immune system that fights infections and diseases in order to protect the body from harm. Sometimes, the immune system becomes over sensitive and begins to react to things that a normal person would not have any reaction to.
Food allergies are a group of allergic reactions that are linked to the proteins found in certain types of foods. These foods are otherwise safe and healthy for consumption and may be prepared hygienically but they still produce a reaction in a person who has an allergy. Food allergies are immediate or delayed in their onset. Immediate allergies tend to occur between a few seconds and within an hour of consumption of the allergenic food. The reaction during this type of allergic reaction is typically found around the face, mouth and throat. Patients suffering from this sort of immediate reaction tend to develop hives, soft tissue inflammations, and severe blockages of their breathing canal due to soft tissue inflammation. The delayed allergic response tends to occur while the digestive process is taking place. It may occur in the stomach or in the intestinal system. This is possibly because the allergen substance only gets absorbed in the body once digestion has actually commenced. This sort of allergy is usually far more manageable and tends to produce an inflammatory response in the lining of the stomach or the intestines.
An egg allergy is one of the more common types of allergy. It tends to occur more in children than in adults. Egg allergies can be triggered by either the white or the yellow part of the egg and therefore a complete exclusion diet is required to avoid any chances of an allergic reaction. An egg allergy can cause an anaphylactic reaction in a person which is a medical emergency that can be fatal if not treated immediately. Most people grow out of their allergy to eggs by the time they are 5 to 6 years old. Those who do not outgrow the allergy by the age of 10 are likely to be afflicted by the allergy for the rest of their lives. There is no known cure for egg allergy at the moment and the only method used apart from avoidance is to generally reduce the sensitivity of the immune system through immune system therapy.
Submitted by M T on May 10, 2010 at 02:32