Alergija na živila

Every foreign substance that enters the body is checked by the defense system and - if necessary - destroyed with the help of specialized antibodies. If the "enemy" is successfully destroyed, this information is stored. Upon re-contact with the harmful substance, the defense system responds immediately: immune cells are mobilized to destroy the attacker. The body is immune.

This excellent defense system is disturbed in allergic diseases: the body reacts excessively to repeated contacts with certain substances - allergens - with disease symptoms.

Affected: areas in contact with the surroundings

The most commonly affected areas are those in contact with the surroundings - the skin, respiratory tract, stomach and intestines.
So-called inhaled allergens like pollen and house dust get into the body by inhalation. The most common allergic reactions occur in the neck, nose and eyes. Contact allergens, such as metals or cosmetics, cause allergic skin diseases.
Allergens in food or insect toxins enter the body through the digestive tract or blood vessels. Gastrointestinal problems can result, and sometimes the whole body can be affected.

We distinguish three different types of allergen-dependent reactions:
& # 8226; in the case of an immediate reaction, symptoms appear immediately after contact with the substance causing the allergy;

& # 8226; type II reactions have problems with a delay of four to eight hours and last longer;

& # 8226; in late reactions, it can take up to 48 to 72 hours to respond — this makes it extremely difficult to find the allergen.

The basic principle of allergy treatment is substance avoidance. causing allergies - if at all possible. If this is not possible, your doctor may suggest desensitization. In such treatment, which does not always give the desired success, attempts are made to increase the body's tolerance to allergenic substances.
Medicines such as cromoglycic acid or an antihistamine; pollen allergies do not cure, but only alleviate the symptoms by weakening the body’s response to allergens. Even corticosteroids prescribed by a doctor for a severe allergic reaction (such as allergic swelling) only temporarily alleviate the symptoms.

Food allergy

In principle, any food can cause an allergy. Some are more allergenic than others: these include dairy products, nuts, fish and crustaceans, mushrooms, chocolate, certain fruits and vegetables, preservatives and food coloring.

Food allergies not only cause allergic reactions on the skin, but can also affect the mucous membranes of the respiratory and digestive tracts (allergic cold or cough, swelling of the lips and oral mucosa). Allergens can also cause abdominal pain, bloating, colic and diarrhea. Sometimes different symptoms occur at the same time. Allergic reactions can occur for the first time after a few hours or even days and because the diet is a mixture of different possible allergens, it is very difficult to detect the cause of the allergy. Breastfeeding is the best protection against allergies in the first year of life. Use a hypoallergenic infant diet for infants at risk for non-breastfeeding allergies.

For children at risk for allergies, you need to put the menu together especially carefully: whenever you try a hitherto unknown food, you have to wait three days before you can give it another new food. However, a child may also react allergic to a food that he has tolerated well so far. Therefore, you should always know what the child has eaten in the last three days. There is no evidence of dairy allergy, beware, because milk is also found in many types of sausages and pasta. An allergy to boiled milk often disappears spontaneously if the child is on a dairy-free diet for 6 to 18 months.