Egg allergy: symptoms, prevention, treatment

Eggs are one of the most powerful allergens and often cause a specific reaction not only in adults but also in young children.

allergy symptoms usually occur within a few minutes (sometimes within a few hours) after ingestion of eggs or products containing them (including egg white powder).Symptoms of intolerance can be both easy and difficult: skin rash, hives, nasal congestion, vomiting or other digestive disorders.In rare cases, the eggs cause anaphylaxis - a reaction, life-threatening.

Egg allergy often appears in infancy, during the introduction of new products foods.Most children outgrow it by the age of onset of adolescence.

Symptoms

reaction of the body is entirely dependent on its individual characteristics and manifest soon after consuming the allergen in the food.Given that involves egg allergy, the symptoms are the following:

• Skin inflammation, or hives - the most common allergic reaction.
• nasal congestion, sneezing and runny nose (allergic rhinitis).
• signs of digestive disorders: colic, nausea, vomiting.
• Signs and symptoms of asthma: coughing, sneezing, feeling of tightness in the chest or shortness of breath.

Anaphylaxis

severe allergy to eggs from adults or children can lead to anaphylaxis - a potentially fatal condition that requires immediate administration of epinephrine (adrenaline) and emergency treatment.Signs and symptoms of anaphylaxis include the following states:

• narrowing of the airways, including swelling or feeling a lump in his throat along with shortness of breath.
• cramps and pain in the chest.
• Rapid pulse.
• The shock with a sharp drop in blood pressure, manifest as deterioration of health, dizziness or loss of consciousness.

It is advisable to discuss with your doctor any response (even if it seems insignificant) if you or your child was found allergic to chicken eggs.The severity of symptoms can be different each time, so even with a small initial reaction then we can expect more severe symptoms.

If the doctor finds that your child has a severe reaction can occur, it will prescribe an injection of epinephrine immediately in case of anaphylaxis.Such injections are made with the pen, provides extra administration.

When to see a doctor?

should make an appointment to the allergist, if you or your child has symptoms of a food allergy immediately after eating eggs or foods containing eggs.If possible, better to see a doctor right during the atypical reactions to the product - as an expert faster and more accurate diagnosis.

If there are signs of anaphylaxis should immediately call an ambulance and take advantage of a single dose of epinephrine in a special syringe if you are allergic to eggs officially diagnosed and drug prescription.

reasons

intolerance of certain foods - this is not quite an adequate immune response to the new food.In this case, the immunity misinterprets some proteins contained in the eggs, as harmful substances.When you or your child has come in contact with these proteins, cells of the immune system (antibodies) recognize the imaginary danger and the need to signal the body to release histamine into the blood and other chemicals that cause the signs and symptoms of allergy.

proteins that are potential allergens contained in the protein and the yolk, but the most common idiosyncrasy of egg white.Allergy to eggs (a photo of which are represented in many medical directories) can also occur in infants who are breastfed, if the mother eats the egg yolks and whites.

Risk Factors The following conditions increase the risk of intolerance to eggs:

• Atopic dermatitis.Children like skin rash more likely to suffer from allergies to chicken eggs than their peers with healthy skin.
• family history.You are at risk if one or both of your parents diagnosed with asthma, food allergy or individual intolerance, manifested in the form of allergic rhinitis, urticaria and eczema.
• Age.Egg allergy is most common in children.With age, the system of the digestive system matures completely, and cases of food allergies are recorded less frequently.

Treatment

only way to prevent an abnormal reaction - to stop using eggs and their derivatives.However, some people with allergies this type normally react to products containing processed eggs such as bakery products.

Drugs - antihistamines - reduce the intensity of symptoms of mild food allergies.These preparations can be drunk after exposure to the allergen in the body.Nevertheless, it should be remembered that they are not able to completely prevent an abnormal reaction and ineffective in the treatment of severe conditions.

may need to always carry a pen syringe with epinephrine.Prick need of anaphylaxis.

Egg allergy is rarely a child is serious, because most children gradually outgrow this disease.Discuss with your doctor the possibility to monitor, whether stored over time the signs are hypersensitive to egg proteins.Do not give your child their own eggs as an experiment, it is impossible to predict the reaction of the child's body to re eating potentially harmful product.

Prevention

You can choose to take measures to prevent an allergic reaction, or prevent its deterioration.For example:

• Carefully read the product information supply specified on the package.Some people can not tolerate eggs even in miniscule amounts of residual (for an amount evidenced by the inscription on the product packaging: "May contain traces of egg").
• caution in catering establishments.Not only the waiters - sometimes even cook is not quite sure of the presence or absence of egg proteins in a particular dish.
• Tell all adults with whom you leave a child, he had the presence of individual intolerance.Nurses, teachers, relatives have to remember that the child is allergic to eggs (photos show them that maybe if he eats the egg), and does not give him a potentially dangerous products.Make sure an adult knows how to behave in an emergency.
• If you are breastfeeding, avoid eating eggs.Egg proteins penetrate into breast milk and may cause symptoms of food allergy in the baby.

Products with eggs hidden content

Unfortunately, even if the product is not indicated eggs and their derivatives, it may still contain some egg protein.To dispel any doubts in this case can only manufacturer.

For convenience, you can use the following list of products with the hidden content of the eggs, but remember it is not complete:

• marshmallows and candy;
• mayonnaise;
• meringue;
• bakery products;
• breadcrumbs;
• marzipan;
• glaze;
• processed meats, meat rolls and meatballs;
• puddings and custard;
• salad dressings;
• pasta;
• cream is delicious kinds of coffee with the addition of alcohol;
• drying.

If the production of certain foods used egg proteins can be detected in the composition of the following substances:

• albumin;
• globulin;
• lecithin;
• livetin;
• lysozyme;
• Vitellius;
• names starting with "Peninsula" or "ovo", such as ovalbumin (egg albumin) or ovoglobulin.

allergy to eggs can occur when serving, homemade meals in a strange house, where food may show small amounts of eggs due to the nature of the comprehensive menu.If you can not completely avoid allergies, it should be possible to prepare for possible symptoms.