You already know that your child is a picky eater, especially when it comes to healthy foods like broccoli and spinach. Still, you should know that pickiness has nothing to do when your child refuses to eat certain dishes. Most of you have no idea if your child has food allergies until your child tries the food for the first time and has a reaction. And that is the main reason why it is so very much important for parents to be aware of the allergy symptoms.
Food Allergy Triggers
A sensitive child must have been exposed to the food at least once before having a food allergy reaction or could also be sensitized through breast milk. Mostly, it must be the second time your child eats the food that the allergic symptoms happen. The most common food allergy triggers in children as follows:
- Peanuts
- Cow’s milk
- Eggs
- Fish
- Shellfish
- Wheat
- Soy
Approximately 90% of all food allergies are caused by the listed above foods.
Allergy Symptoms
When your child has a food allergy, you must know that their immune system overreacts, producing antibodies to the food as if it were a virus or other dangerous foreign invader. This immune is what produces allergy symptoms. A food allergy can affect your child’s breathing, intestinal tract, heart and skin. If your children have a food allergy, they will develop one or more of the following symptoms within a few minutes to an hour after eating the food.
- Congestion
- Runny nose
- Cough
- Diarrhoea
- Dizziness
- Light headedness
- Itching around the mouth or ears
- Nausea
- Red, itchy bumps on the skin
- Red, itchy rash
- Shortness of breath
- Trouble breathing
- Sneezing
- Stomach pain
- Strange taste in the mouth
- Swelling of the lips, tongue and face
- Vomiting
- Wheezing
It’s not necessary that your child can clearly explain their allergy symptoms. They will be having a hard time finding words to describe how they are feeling during an allergic reaction. Therefore, it is important for a parent to interpret what your child is feeling. Your child might be having an allergic reaction if they say things like “It feels like there’s something stuck in my throat” or “My mouth itches” or “I’m feeling like something bad is about to happen!”
When to Visit Your Nearby Homeopathy Clinic
In response to foods like peanuts or shellfish, your child might develop a severe allergic reaction called anaphylaxis. The life-threatening signs and symptoms of anaphylaxis include the following:
- Chest pain
- Fainting
- Shortness of breath
- Wheezing
- Swelling of lips, tongue, throat
- Trouble swallowing
- Turning blue
- Weak pulse or rapid pulse
- Repetitive cough
Remember that a combination of mild symptoms from different body areas is also considered severe. Emergency treatment is critical for anaphylaxis. If you fail to treat, it can cause a coma or even death! If your child has trouble breathing or swallowing after eating something, visit your nearby homeopathy clinic right away.
Diagnosis at Dr Batra’s™
The diagnosis of food allergies is conducted in the following ways.
- Case history and evaluation: The doctors at Dr Batra’s™ conduct a detailed history to find out the symptoms and triggers of the allergy. Typically, a detailed session with the doctors is enough to broadly identify the type of allergy and trigger.
- Physical examination: The doctors at Dr Batra’s™ examine the patient’s airway passage and skin and conduct a general examination to look for symptoms and manifestations of allergies.
Conclusion
At Dr Batra’s™, thousands of patients have been treated so far for food allergies. In the past 35 years, their patients have reported significant relief from this distressing condition, with a patient satisfaction rate of around 94% for treating allergies.
