Do you or someone you know suffer from food sensitivity? Do you have sensitive skin that flares up when exposed to certain foods? If so, you might be suffering from a food allergy. An allergy is an immune response your body has when it detects a particular substance as dangerous.
When your body recognizes the substance as dangerous, it produces inflammatory cells to fight it off. This results in hives, rashes, redness or swelling of the skin.
While many people mistakenly believe that only infants and young children can suffer from food allergies, anyone can have them at any age. Food allergies are on the rise and with more people becoming aware of what they are, their number is only going to increase.
If you’re like many people these days, your diet has probably taken a turn for the worse. In today’s world we’re surrounded by so much processed food that it can be difficult to keep from eating too much of it. That being said, most of us probably want to eat healthier rather than unsightly and uncomfortable.
If you suspect that your recent changes in diet may be causing food allergies in addition to other skin problems, then you’ve come to the right place. Here we will discuss how food allergies can affect your skin and how to get rid of the rashes that result.
What is a food allergy?
A food allergy is an abnormal immune response to a certain food. While the immune system protects the body from harmful substances like infection, it also mistakenly attacks healthy substances like food. A food allergy occurs when immune cells mistakenly attack the skin, causing a rash, hives, swelling of the lips, tongue, or eyes or a skin rash called “anaphylaxis.” Food allergies can be mild and cause few symptoms, or severe and cause anaphylaxis, which may result in death. An allergy is an inappropriate, sometimes life-threatening immune system response to a substance that is not normally harmful. A food allergy occurs when your body’s immune system mistakes a certain food as harmful and attacks it, causing hives, itching, swelling, nausea, and cramps. Food allergies are among the most common health problems in the world, affecting about 30% of people. There are over 100 different kinds of food allergies, grouped into eight categories.
Food Allergy Signs and Symptoms
Skin rash, hives, itching, or redness around the mouth and eyes Burning or tingling sensations in the mouth, throat, or chest Itchy eyes, eyelids, or skin Nausea or vomiting Dizziness or lightheadedness Numbness or tingling in the mouth or throat Cough Asthma attack or other breathing problems Weakness or shortness of breath Diarrhea or constipation.
Steps to Clear Up Your Skin When You Have a Food Allergy
Next time you have an adverse reaction to a certain food, take a step back and think about what led you to that reaction in the first place. A rash or other symptoms may have been signaling the beginning of a food allergy.
It’s important to know what you’re allergic to so that you can avoid foods that trigger a reaction. Ask your doctor to run an allergy test. If you need to know what foods are causing your reactions, your doctor can run a blood test and tell you. If you have a severe reaction to a certain food, you should avoid it while you try to get your allergies cleared up.
Conclusion
If you have a food allergy, it’s important to treat it. It can be serious and even life-threatening if you don’t. Fortunately, food allergies can be prevented with a few simple changes to your diet. Avoid foods that you’re allergic to and you can prevent a food allergy from developing.
If you’re dealing with a food allergy, you’re probably experiencing a lot of pain, itching, and swelling. Washing your skin and applying anti-itching lotion will help some, but you also need to take steps to heal the allergy itself.
Your doctor may recommend taking antihistamine pills to reduce histamine, an allergy-triggering chemical in your body. That will help your skin heal while also reducing the effects of the allergy.
These allergy rash treatments work well when you have hives, eczema, or a rash that is associated with another condition. You may want to try natural remedies or dietary changes, such as eliminating foods that are causing your allergy rashes.
If moisturizing your skin isn’t working and you feel desperate, your doctor can prescribe anti-itching creams and antihistamine pills.
You may want to try taking a probiotic or dietary supplement to help your gut microbiome. A healthy gut microbiome can help prevent allergic reactions by creating less histamine in your body.
Certain herbs or nutritional supplements may also be able to modulate your allergic response to certain foods.
Also, your doctor may recommend taking Benadryl, a common over-the-counter antihistamine, to help you sleep.
These are just a few of the ways that you can get rid of food allergies when they cause skin problems. There are many ways to treat allergic reactions. What foods you choose to eat are up to you, but it is important to understand your allergies.
