Tips To Food Allergies Dangers and Warning Signs

Introduction
Peanuts can leave you breathless. Cat dander can lead to itchy eyes, a stuffy
nose, coughing and sneezing. And most of us have suffered through those
seasonal allergies with horrible pollen counts.
Approximately 60 million Americans are affected by an allergy, which means
one in every five adults or children suffer from them. Allergies are common in
men as well as in women. Thirty-five million people have upper respiratory
symptoms, which are allergic reactions to airborne pollen. Around 10 million
Americans have allergies to cats and two million present severe reactions to
various insect stings.
Simply defined, an allergy is an intolerance of the immune system to specific
substances. You're allergic to these substances when your body reacts
adversely to them, thereby producing excessive histamine, which triggers a
cascade of allergic symptoms that can affect the respiratory system,
gastrointestinal tract, skin or cardiovascular system.
Typically a person will suspect that he or she is allergic to something before
taking an allergy test. In most situations, a simple skin test will be performed
first as a way to confirm a suspicion. With skin tests, several allergens can be
tested simultaneously. Skin tests and blood tests are the most common types
of allergy tests performed today.
75% of Americans who suffer from an allergy are allergic to ragweed. Ragweed
is the late summer early fall equivalent of springtime allergies, both are
brought on by pollination of flowers. Most medical professionals suggest an
over the counter decongestant or antihistamine to treat the symptoms
associated with a seasonal allergy.
It's believed that 11 million Americans suffer from some type of food allergy.
The symptoms of a food allergy range from tingling in the mouth to swelling of
the tongue and throat to more severe reactions that can actually result in
death. Some childhood food allergies will go away with age. However, allergies
to peanuts, fish, shellfish and nuts are considered lifetime allergies.