What is food allergy?

Food allergy is essentially an abnormal immune response produced by the immune system against food proteins that are not originally pathogenic. It belongs to the category of type I allergic disease and is completely different from the "picky eaters", "squeamish" and "weak stomach" spread on the Internet.

Last week I met a 20-year-old girl at the allergy clinic. She had eaten mangoes for more than 20 years without any problem. Last week, she stayed up for three days working on a project and ate half a piece of mango during her lunch break. Within ten minutes, her lips were swollen and shiny, and even her neck was covered in wheals. When she came in, she was still rubbing her eyes and said she couldn't open her eyes because of itchiness. After the allergen was checked, it was indeed a mango protein allergy. She also wondered why she suddenly got infected because she had been fine before.

Many people confuse food allergy and food intolerance. In fact, the logic of the onset of the two is far different. Intolerance generally has nothing to do with the immune system. For example, diarrhea after drinking milk is mostly caused by the lack of lactase in the body. At most, it is discomfort in the gastrointestinal tract, which will not involve the skin, respiratory tract, let alone It can be life-threatening, but allergies are different. In mild cases, rashes and swollen lips may occur. In severe cases, laryngeal edema and anaphylactic shock may occur. It can really kill people. There have been cases in which children secretly took a bite of peanut-containing biscuits and died without being sent to the doctor in time. It is really not alarmist.

Regarding the causes of food allergy, there is no completely unified conclusion in the academic community. In the past, it was generally believed that it was determined by innate genes, but in recent years, many studies have pointed to the influence of acquired factors. For example, the hygiene hypothesis that has been popular for a long time believes that household disinfection is too good now, and the environment that children have been exposed to since childhood is too clean. The immune system has not had the opportunity to "practice" to identify real harmful pathogens, so it is easy to mistake food proteins as foreign enemies.； However, some studies do not agree with this statement. They believe that the rise in food allergy rates is more related to the incorrect timing of the introduction of complementary foods in infants and young children and the irrational use of antibiotics. Currently, both sides are supported by relevant clinical data and are still being further demonstrated.

We have also encountered many adult patients who suddenly become ill during our daily treatment. Most of them are immune disorders during that period, such as staying up late, recovering from a serious illness, or being too stressed. Foods that were not allergic to before are suddenly no longer allowed to be eaten. So don’t think that allergies are brought up since childhood. Adults should also pay attention. Oh, by the way, there is another common misunderstanding. Many people think that allergies mean that they must avoid food for life. In fact, this is not necessarily the case. Some children are allergic to milk and eggs. As their immune systems mature when they grow up, they may resolve themselves. Of course, this needs to be evaluated by a professional doctor. Don’t try it rashly on your own.