Food allergies 101

As mentioned, reaction to a food can be immediate or delayed. In a few cases, immediate reactions can be quite severe and are classified as an anaphylactic allergy. For example, an anaphylactic reaction occurs when a child's breathing is immediately compromised after eating a peanut. Anaphylactic reactions should be taken very seriously as they are life-threatening. Strict avoidance of the food must be adhered to.

Anaphylactic allergies are considered fixed allergies that cannot be changed. Parents and caregivers usually know if a child suffers from an anaphylactic allergy and therefore take the necessary precautions such as reading labels, avoiding restaurants that do not list their ingredients, and carrying an EpiPen (a shot of epinephrine injected into the skin) in case of emergency. Only 1 percent of all children have anaphylactic allergies.

The second type of allergic reaction is a delayed response that can occur hours and even days after eating a particular food. I will refer to this type of reaction as a food intolerance or food sensitivity. For example, Billy, who is unknowingly allergic to dairy, may develop an ear infection two days after eating a vanilla ice cream cone. The doctor will put Billy on his third round of antibiotics that year.

Unfortunately, antibiotics will kill off the good bacteria in the gut, allowing for the overgrowth of unhealthy microbes such as yeast, further aggravating the condition. Parents and children often get trapped in this vicious cycle. If steps are not taken to remove the dairy from Billy's diet and restore proper bowel health, the ear infection is likely to recur. If Billy's intolerance to dairy is not investigated and addressed, he runs the risk of being placed on more antibiotics and may even face surgical intervention.

Detecting food sensitivities in a child can feel like looking for a needle in a haystack. However, with the guidance of a welltrained health care practitioner and the proper information, the food culprit can be identified and removed.

If symptoms do occur following the ingestion of certain foods, these are some possible causes:

• A child has eaten an excessive amount of the same type of food.
• A child is suffering from poor digestive health because of stress or frequent use of broadspectrum antibiotics, pesticides, preservatives, or food dyes.
• A child has eaten too much food and has overloaded his or her system.
• The immune system is compromised.
• There is a decreased production in stomach acid (Hcl) or other digestive enzymes.
• There is a predisposition to a heightened allergic response because of genetics.

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