Brief food allergy tips

Food allergies are by no means "hypocritical", and there is no "just take it". The most reliable way to deal with it is to completely avoid known allergens and be vigilant about cross-contamination. Second, people with severe allergies should carry an epinephrine auto-injection pen with them. Do not blindly try the folk remedy of "trying a small amount to build tolerance". If you have difficulty breathing or laryngeal edema, call 120 immediately.

Last week, I went to have Hong Kong-style tea with my friends. The girl at the next table just picked up a piece of kale dipped in shrimp paste. After chewing it for two times, she complained that her throat was tight. Within two minutes, a wheal developed on her arm. Fortunately, the person traveling with her brought medicine with her, and it took a long time to recover. She only knew that she was allergic to shrimp before, but she didn't expect that the shrimp paste in the side dish could also affect her.

Many people's understanding of food allergies is still that "you will get a rash after eating a whole plate of xx", but this is not true. Some people think, "I wasn't allergic to this before, and I must be fine now." That's not necessarily true. The state of the immune system can change at any time. When I was working as a caterer, I met a regular customer who had been fine after eating salmon for ten years. One time, he suddenly went into shock after eating it and was sent to the doctor. After checking the specific IgE, he found out that he was suddenly allergic to salmon. The doctor said that this situation is not uncommon. I have encountered parents who thought their children were "spoiled" due to allergies and forced their children to eat mangoes, only to be admitted directly to the ICU. This sounded outrageous to me.

Of course, we need to make it clear here first, and don’t confuse food intolerance and allergies - for example, diarrhea after drinking milk is often caused by lactose intolerance. Drink less or drink Shuhua milk with lactase, which is two different things from milk protein allergy. But if a food allergy is really diagnosed, even exposure to a few milligrams of the allergen may cause trouble. There was a child with a nut allergy who ended up in the emergency room after eating biscuits passed by others who had touched peanuts. This is really not an alarmist statement.

Nowadays, many people on the Internet say that allergies can be treated with desensitization. Is this an IQ tax? Objectively speaking, desensitization is indeed the only possible cure for food allergy at present. It allows the immune system to slowly adapt through long-term exposure to allergens in small doses. However, this cannot be tried at home. It must be done under the full monitoring of the allergy department of a regular hospital. It only targets specific allergens such as dust mites and some nuts. It is not suitable for everyone. If you rashly "try small amounts and multiple times" at home, you may die.

When you usually go out to eat, if you have a history of allergies, don't be afraid to ask the waiter. Especially for parents with children, don't think it's "making a fuss". For cakes from bakeries and pre-packaged snacks sold outside, it's best to check the ingredient list to see if there is any warning that "may contain nuts/seafood/soybeans". Don't be too troublesome.

After all, there is really no "uniform strategy" for allergies. Everyone's allergens and allergic reactions are different. Taking more snacks is more effective than any other folk remedies. If you really feel dizzy, breathless, or have a blocked throat, don't hesitate to call 120 immediately.