Food allergy symptoms in children may develop instantly after a food is taken or within several hours. This usually depends on the amount of food that had been ingested which is causing the reactions and the child’s reaction to it.
Food Allergies Symptoms in Child
Below are some facts about food allergy signs in children:
- The symptoms that are associated with food allergies in children can range from mild to severe ones.
- Some of the most common symptoms that can occur include wheezing, itching in the skin, rashes, diarrhea, vomiting, breathing difficulties, hives that can turn into blisters, nausea, abdominal pains, and swells that are located in the mouth or around the throat area.
- Some of the severe allergic reactions to food that children experience include anaphylaxis, decreased in blood pressure, inflammation of the mouth and throat, and shock. There are instances wherein children can die because of certain allergic reactions to food.
- What are more common in children that can be directly linked to food allergies are intolerances to certain food which can also cause several allergy-like symptoms to appear. These include vomiting, skin rashes that are itchy, diarrhea and spitting up. Most common intolerances in children are lactose-intolerance wherein symptoms develop after ingesting foods with lactose.
Diagnosis of Allergic Reaction to Food in Children
- Often times, the persistency of the symptoms that appear during an allergic reaction are greatly used in diagnosing food allergy in children.
- When allergic reactions to food are suspected, pediatricians or other specialist usually would do a thorough allergy focused clinical history. The pediatrician would usually ask if the child has any family member with food allergies, foods that have been avoided, symptoms that have shown, feeding history of the child, medical history, and responses to elimination and reintroduction of certain foods.
- Diagnosing non-immunoglobulin E mediated food allergy is done when a food allergy is suspected. This is done by eliminating suspected food for two to six weeks and reintroducing it again to know if these were the ones that caused the allergic reactions.
- Diagnosing immunoglobulin E mediated food allergy is done by either a skin prick test or a blood test that is specified for immunoglobulin antibodies. These tests should be done after a thorough allergy focused clinical history and should be performed by a competent medical practitioner that can properly analyze results.
- When the allergy has been diagnosed, parents of children would be informed properly on what they need to do by the pediatrician. When necessary, the pediatrician will refer children needing specialized care to a medical practitioner that deals with allergies.