There are many different almond allergy symptoms which can occur, when almonds are actually eaten and in some cases even if the person has only touched or come into contact with the allergen–

1. Tingling and swelling of the lips and about the mouth is one of the symptoms of this allergy.

2. Skin eruptions, rashes, hives and itchiness can also indicate an allergic reaction to almonds.

3. There could be wheezing, constriction of the airways and difficulty breathing.

4. A person may also have digestive disturbances such as diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and abdominal cramping etc.

5. In some cases a potentially life threatening laryngospasm can occur when the almond of food containing it is swallowed.

The vocal cords and the airways swell up and impede breathing. Such almond allergy symptoms require emergency medical attention.

6. Anaphylactic shock can also occur with very severe allergic reactions to almonds and this is another potentially fatal reaction to almond allergies.

Management of an almond allergy can be tricky for several reasons – firstly because a person who is allergic to almonds may likely develop allergies to other tree nuts as well. Nuts or traces of nuts are found in so many different products that a person needs to really vigilant in avoiding allergens even from unlikely sources.

Also almond allergy symptoms tend to worsen over time – whereas the first allergic reaction may have been mild, the second one may be worse and more difficult to manage. The severity of reactions to nut allergies can be very severe in a lot of cases, rather like shellfish allergies. Also these allergies tend to persist for life, and rarely do people outgrow them.

Here are some pointers that could help manage an almond allergy –

• If you know you are allergic to almonds, watch out and be careful about consuming other nuts such as hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, walnuts, cashews, chestnuts, pine nuts, gingko nuts, beechnuts, pistachios, pecans and so on. This is because tree nut allergies are known to have a high degree of cross reactivity. One of the tips for management of almond allergy symptoms is to try and avoid all tree nuts as far as possible.
• Avoid not only the actual nuts but also products such as baklava, nougat, marzipan, Nutella, pralines, nut liqueurs, pesto sauce and so on. Cereals, muesli, chocolate, baked items, fudge, granola bars and so on may also likely contain nuts or traces of nuts.
• Read food packaging carefully, to see if the above ingredients are listed so that almond allergy symptoms can be avoided. Eating out can be very perilous for people with nut allergies; in particular Chinese, Italian or Greek cuisine so remember to ask plenty of questions while ordering.

Difference between banana intolerance and allergy

Sometimes intolerance can cause some symptoms similar to banana allergy symptoms and so differentiating the two can be confusing. However the pathology of both is different and therefore the management of the symptoms also has to be different.

Banana intolerance is caused by the lack of a certain enzyme in the body. This enzyme is needed to break down and digest the protein in bananas, and owning to this, there are digestive symptoms such as abdominal pain, bloating, and other problems indicating indigestion.

A banana allergy should also be differentiated from allergies to substances that are used to ripen bananas. At times it isn’t the bananas that a person may be allergic to; it could be the ripening agent that is the actual allergen.

If your allergy symptoms do not occur when you have banana in its cooked form (pies, cakes etc since the cooking processes destroy some of these allergens) then this could be true for you.

Digestive symptoms of a banana allergy

Banana allergy symptoms can occur shortly after consuming the banana and can cause nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain and cramping in the intestines.

Other symptoms of being allergic to bananas

Hay fever like symptoms such as a runny or a stuffy nose, coughing, sneezing or wheezing, watery or itchy eyes could be one of the symptoms of a banana allergy. Hives and rashes could also appear after consuming bananas.

There could also be certain oral banana allergy symptoms such as swelling or itching in the mouth and a scratchy feeling in the throat. In extreme cases, the person could suffer anaphylactic shock as a result of their banana allergy. Swelling in the breathing passages and difficulty breathing, and heart problems could occur in very rare cases.

Who is Likely to have a banana allergy?

There are certain allergies that are seen to coexist with a banana allergy, so if you have those you are more likely to have a banana allergy and vice versa as well. Those who suffer from a latex allergy, allergies to avocados, kiwi fruit and chestnuts are likely candidates for banana allergies as well. Some people are allergic to banana pollen; however they are as likely to be allergic to other kinds of pollen.

Banana allergy treatment

Like most allergies it is best to avoid the allergen. However when this is not possible, banana allergy symptoms will respond to and be controlled with the help of antihistamines like most other allergies. Also if the allergy is very severe, adrenaline injections may be required.

As of now, there is insufficient information and statistical data available on the subject of banana allergies. It is not well understood why they occur, when they are more likely to occur and what the best management tactic is.

It is the caffeine in coffee that people can be allergic to, and so the allergic reaction can also be experienced in the case of other caffeinated beverages such as colas, chocolate, and in cases even decaffeinated coffee. This allergy is not yet fully understood and the coffee allergy symptoms can be quite different and varied and may also include mental and not just physical symptoms.

Common coffee allergy symptoms

These symptoms are commonly seen in a number of other allergies – allergic reactions such as a runny nose, watery or itchy eyes, coughing, and/or hives and skin rashes, severe itching could manifest after consuming coffee.

Flu like symptoms may be noted. There could be wheezing as a result of coffee consumption.

Some people may experience nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps, diarrhea and other digestive disturbances. Most of these symptoms will manifest within a few minutes to a few hours of ingesting the offending substance.

Those who are allergic will show coffee allergy symptoms that are an acute version of what non-sufferers may have if they drank excessive coffee – there could be excessive jitters, insomnia, jumpiness, irritability and headaches.

Unusual symptoms of coffee allergy

In some cases there could be less common reactions to coffee allergies, such as chest pain. There could also be a numbness of the feet and the hands. Muscle aches and pains may also follow ingestion of coffee.

Cold sweats and vision problems and even the swelling of the eyes to the point of shutting have been reported in some cases. In cases there could be dizziness, fatigue and so on as well.

In extreme cases there could be coffee allergy symptoms such as chest pain or heart palpitations. When a person is extremely allergic to caffeine anaphylactic shock could also occur when there is swelling or closing up of the throat and breathing problems. Such an allergic reaction can be life threatening.

Mental symptoms of coffee allergy

It isn’t just physical symptoms; coffee allergies could also produce mental symptoms. A person could experience anxiety or panic attacks as a result. They may find that they are unable to focus or concentrate on the job at hand. There could be irritability and mood swings and anger as a result.

Experts have found that a coffee allergy could produce symptoms such as hallucinations, delirium and even mania; and may sometimes produce symptoms that mimic schizophrenia and other mental diseases.

Coffee allergy symptoms have at times been known to be confused with mental conditions such as paranoia, obsessive compulsive disorder, attention deficit disorder, bipolar disease and so on. So it is important to isolate and identify that the symptoms that are being experienced and to make sure as to their reason, since many of the symptoms of a coffee allergy can be extreme enough to impact quality of life and in cases even be life threatening.

So if a person has symptoms such as acne and other skin problems such as eczema, nasal congestion, asthma, canker sores/fever blisters, pink eye, digestive problems, breathlessness, fatigue, itching, hay fever, hives or a combination of these, it has to be determined whether these are due to consumption of soy or some other reason.

There could also be extreme reactions to soy allergies, such as anaphylaxis which could be life threatening so it is important to identify a soy allergy and to guard against triggering it, by keeping the following in mind.

Check ingredients lists on packaged products consistently

It of course goes without saying that the ingredients lists of packaged foods should be checked for soy.

But it is also important to do this consistently, even with familiar foods. This is because the manufacturers may change recipes; add new ingredients and so on without one knowing about it.

So packaging should routinely be checked, regardless of how long a product has been used.

Common items that contain soy

It is obvious that items such as soy flour, soy nuts, soy sauce, soy milk, soy chunks or granules, soy curds, and tofu are things to be avoided if one is allergic to soy.

But there are also other things that should be avoided if one is allergic to soy – Miso, Tamari, Tempeh, many sauces kinds of sauces and additives such as Worcestershire sauce, some baked items, certain cereals and even certain kinds of infant cereal could contain soy.

Check not just for soy but also other terms relating to soy

Sometimes the ingredient may be listed not as ‘soy’ per se, but as another term. Ingredients such as hydrolyzed plant protein, textured vegetable protein, vegetable gum and vegetable starch may all contain soy.

Additionally a lot of ingredients listed as “natural and artificial flavoring” may also contain soy and so have to be watched out for.

Further many items that one wouldn’t ordinarily associate with soy; items such as chocolate, stock cubes, caramel color, vegetable oil and fat, canned broth, lecithin, methylcellulose, mono glycerides, and diglycerides may also contain soy.

For instance certain brands of peanut butter may trigger soy allergy because they contain soy oil. So it is important to not only read labels but be informed about soy and its uses and applications.

Now however, help may be at hand for milk allergy sufferers in the form of a new desensitization tactic.

A study conducted by researchers from Stanford University and Children’s Hospital Boston devised a way in which a milk allergy sufferer would be administered allergy medication omalizumab (Xolair) an anti-immunoglobulin E (IgE) medication alongside the desensitizing therapy.

For the desensitization to the allergen, in this case milk, small amounts of dairy or appropriate products are administered to the allergy sufferer so that their system has the opportunity to adapt to the presence of the allergen without provoking a negative response.

This dual approach of medication and gradual desensitization is time consuming, but can yield good results.

The strategy uses the anti-immunoglobulin E (IgE) medication to protect the person from the adverse reactions that may possibly erupt even with the exposure to a small amount of the allergen.

So this is a safe way of increasing a person’s exposure to an allergen so that they have the opportunity to increase their resistance to it.

The study that successfully treated the milk allergy of children was devised to give the children the medication for a period of 9 weeks which was then followed by exposure to just 2 grams of milk protein.

As the study progressed this amount of milk protein exposure was increased.

There is hope that this study could solve problems faced not only by milk allergy sufferers but other allergy sufferers as well, since this desensitization tactic in conjunction with medication could work for many other kinds of allergies as well.

There is little evidence that alternative tests such as muscle weakness or hair analysis for allergies work, and parents are now being warned against using them.

Since 1990, there has been a staggering 500% increase in the number of instances where people have been required to be hospitalized due to allergic reactions to different allergens, the most common among them being tree nuts, peanuts, other nuts, milk, fish, shellfish, soy, sesame seeds, kiwi and wheat.

In extreme cases, allergic reactions could induce fatal heart attacks, anaphylactic shock that causes difficulty in breathing, swelling and so on.

It is suggested that excessive anti biotic use could be behind the sharp rise in allergies – as people ‘s exposure to common infections is reduced, the immune system responds by reacting in a hostile fashion to harmless substances such as pollen, dust and food items.  Other suggested causes for this rise are decline in breastfeeding and rise in cesarean section deliveries.

Probiotics are the naturally occurring gut bacteria, which when deplete in the human digestive system, can be replenished by probiotic products that are available on the market.

These are developed into powder or pill form by deriving them from milk or soy. In the process, most of the nutrient solution is extracted, however some traces of this could remain and which could result in an allergic reaction among those who are severely allergic.

For those who are very sensitive, the symptoms include breathing difficulties and other extreme symptoms which may even be life threatening.

However it is also known that gut bacteria can help protect against allergy and autoimmunity. Research is going on on the subject and researchers are hopeful that studies into the way that these microbes work could help develop treatments relating to the prevention and treatment of a number of immune related disorders.

It has been seen that when some of these cells are missing from the system, the body tends to produce an excessive immune response, and the body may have trouble controlling this.

Parents of allergic children should closely examine the Halloween treats their kids collect, for many could contain allergens that could even necessitate a trip to the emergency room.

For many kids, even traces of nuts, eggs or wheat that could be found in chocolate bars, candies and other goodies could be very dangerous.

With an estimated 3 million American kids suffering from food allergies according to Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network it is up to the parents to be vigilant.

There is no reason why kids with allergies shouldn’t go trick or treating, but they should be instructed to gather the goodies and run them by parents before eating anything.

It is important to remember that there could be serious consequences when allergic substances are ingested; even at time breathing in the trigger foods can cause allergic reactions. Also remember that people are not going to dole out candy according to allergies kids may have.

The article speaks about a recently conducted study, the finding of which indicated that consumers should be heeding the label warning since products with these labels are in fact more likely to be contaminated with peanuts, milk or eggs than unlabeled foods.

401 foods were examined by the researchers, 228 of which displayed warnings on the labels that they could contain traces of peanuts, milk, or eggs. The remaining had no such labeling.

The researchers found that 5% foods with warning labels had traces of allergens, whereas only 2% foods without labels were seen to have traces of allergen.

Food allergies are very prevalent in the US: an estimated 2 percent of U.S. adults and 4 to 8 percent of kids have food allergies and these result in as many as 150 deaths a year.

The other thing that limits medical understanding of allergies is the fact that there is really no way to make a diagnosis save actually feeding the person the thing that they are suspected to be allergic to. This is an approach inherently risky and therefore far from ideal.

The hygiene hypothesis has been cited as being the most common probable cause, seeing how less advanced nations have few or no instances of food allergies.

Meanwhile good news may be on the anvil for those who have peanut allergies: a low allergy peanut may soon be available according to American scientists.

Some strains of peanut have already been developed that are low in compounds known to cause allergic reactions.

Scientists are hoping to improve on those strains by eliminating even more of the allergy causing compounds which could result in reactions ranging from mild to severe rashes to life threatening conditions such as anaphylactic shock.

People may be allergic to the actual nut, oil made from it and other products that may contain even traces of peanut.