Some Common Myths About Food Allergy

Just like in any other case, there are many misconceptions about the food allergies also. This article is only meant to facilitate better awareness not to cause panic and is to help you make clear these myths and facilitate better awareness. The following are some of the common myths.

Myth 1:
Adults are Immune to Food Allergy.

Though empirical observation till now suggests that the food allergy is witness more among children, cases of adult food allergies are not that uncommon.

Myth 2:
Food Allergies are Uncommon.

Around 12 million people in the U.S. have food allergies. That is nearly one fourth of the total population. Younger population is more susceptible to food allergies.

Myth 3 :
One Little Bite is Fine.

No. Not at all. At times even less than a bite can lead to allergies. There are many instance where in even traces of the allergen lead to adverse reactions.

Myth 4:
Food Allergies are not Life-threatening.

While most of the time food allergies are mild to moderate, the instances of anaphylactic shock also took place.

Myth 5:
Peanuts are the only Allergy Causing Foods.

Peanuts though till now seem to be the popular allergy causing foods others foods such as tree nuts, fish, shell fish, milk have also been reported to cause adverse reactions.

Myth 6:
Reactions Become Increasingly Severe Whenever they Recur.

Reaction can be mild, moderate and sever. There is no evidence till now that the reaction becomes more severe each time it recurs. It depends more on the does of the allergic agent at that particular instance rather than the number of times of exposure.

Myth 7:
Cooking Reduces the Allergy by Eliminating the Allergy Causing Abilities of the Food.

Yes and No. Some times while cooking, the allergy causing protein gets denatured . The de naturation leads to allergy free state of the causative protein. Some people with egg and milk allergy are able to consume them in small amounts, mostly in the form of baked goods. Raw vegetable allergy can also be considerably reduced when the vegetables are consumed after they were steam cooked. Consult your doctor before trying these methods.

Myth 8 :
The Manifestation of Symptoms is not Immediate.

No. Many of the symptomatic manifestations occur almost immediately after the food intake. Some may even occur even within minutes.

Myth 9:
Positive Skin Prick Test to a Particular Food Means One Will React to it When One Consumes it .

Yes and No. By all means positive skin prick test seems to be valid and the most effective test for predicting the food allergy. However there are some instances where in the skin prick test led to “False positive” reactions. Empirical observation till date suggests that rather than the skin prick test it is the oral challenge that offers a more reliable indicator, regarding the food allergy.