It is very important that everyone understands just how far-reaching the effects of food allergies can really be. Many believe that food allergies are either severe, or nothing, but that is not the case. There are far more levels that your body can become affected than just a severe reaction. You can go from feeling fine to feeling sluggish, having an upset stomach, or even getting body aches as a result of eating the wrong foods. It all depends on what you are allergic to, how severe that allergy is, and what type of reaction you have to the food.
Understanding the Basics of Food Allergies
Food allergies affect an average of 3 to 4% of adults in the United States, and that rate doubles when looking at children populations. A typical reaction to food allergies includes some type of an immune system response that causes your body to try and protect itself. What happens is your body registers the food as foreign. Your body believes that it needs to protect you from some type of invader. So, it makes you sick as a way to flush out the invader. This is what causes you to feel down, off, sore, or lethargic.
This can happen as a reaction to any food or beverage that we drink. Your body is not trying to make you feel bad. Instead, it is trying to help you avoid feeling bad from the foreign substance. While many food allergies are able to be outgrown, some of them will be with you forever. The more severe the allergy, the longer you will likely have to face it. One of the most common food allergies that people face today is an allergy to gluten. This is commonly called Celiac disease. It takes any food with gluten in it and causes an immune reaction that leaves the person suffering with a gambit of symptoms. It is rare that people outgrow this allergy, as they are often exposed to gluten regularly.
What Are the Most Common Food Allergies?
While gluten may be the most common of the food allergies, it is not even close to the only food that can cause a reaction. Nut allergies are also common. An allergy to shellfish is another common food allergy. These are often severe food allergies, causing the most severe reactions. There are other common food allergies that often have lesser reactions. This can include things like grains, eggs, and dairy. Dairy is one of the food allergies that boasts one of the highest overcome rate out of most food allergies. It regularly affects children who grow out of it as they get older. If they do not completely outgrow it, then they often have lesser reactions as they get older.
In truth, anything can cause a food allergy. You can be allergic to anything, so long as your immune system reacts when you come in contact with it. However, there are also foods out there that simply make you feel bad just for having eaten them. Things like fried foods can leave you feeling lethargic after eating them. This is because they are harder for your body to break down and get any nutrition out of. However, this is not considered a true food allergy. This is because the immune system does not kick in and respond.
What Common Symptoms Do Food Allergies Produce?
There is a huge array of symptoms you can feel as a reaction to food allergies. Things like having an upset stomach are common, but this is typically at the lower end of the reactions. When you get into the bigger food allergies, such as nuts and shellfish, then you border on life-ending reactions. The most common reaction for someone with a severe food allergy is called Anaphylactic shock. This is when your body begins to shut down. Some experience an inability to breathe, while others have their heart go out of whack. None of the reactions related to Anaphylaxis are good, and all of them are considered lethal if not treated. You need to make sure you carry around medication to correct this type of reaction, should it ever occur. Other symptoms you could face from food allergies include nausea, diarrhea, and malnutrition. One of the most common things that happens as a response to food allergies is the inability for your body to absorb nutrients properly. This can leave you feeling sick and weak on a regular basis, and sometimes requires medical intervention.
How Can You Fight Back Against Food Allergies?
The first thing you want to do when it comes to fighting back against food allergies, is to get tested. The sooner you know what your body struggles with, the more you can do about it. It can be a lot of hit or miss when it comes to figuring out which foods cause a problem. For example, if you struggle with an allergy to grains, you may not know which grains cause the issues. This could take a bit of time to sort out. Your body may have to try a few different grains to narrow down which cause problems, and which do not.
Another option to fighting back against the effects of food allergies is getting a chiropractic adjustment. Most people do not understand the connection between foods and their overall health. Likewise, they do not see how allergies can heal from chiropractic adjustments. The signals of your body travel up and down the nervous system of your body. When your body has misalignments, it can cause issues with the messaging system of the body. Getting things readjusted and lined up properly allows those messages to flow properly. This can help you not only hurt less, but feel better overall.
