A fish allergy and a shellfish allergy are two different things. While a shellfish allergy includes lobster, clams, shrimp and any other fish with an outer hard shell, a fish allergy includes more routine types of fish–salmon, tuna, pollock, cod, eel, snapper, and others.

A fish allergy usually develops in adults and if you are allergic to one kind of fish, the chances are good you are also allergic to others.  The best thing to do is avoid all fish or if you really want to have fish in your diet, talk to your doctor about testing to determine exactly which kind of fish you should not eat.

As in all allergies, with a fish allergy the body’s immune system is triggered when it mistakenly senses that a fish protein is an enemy substance and must be attacked and eliminated from the body.  It releases histamines as a means of protection.  It is these histamines that cause an allergy–the body swells up, there can be sneezing, hives, a tingling in the mouth, gastro-intestinal problems such as diarrhea and vomiting, and a swollen throat and nasal passages can result in trouble breathing or in respiratory arrest, known as anaphylactic shock.

Anyone experiencing the severe reaction of anaphylactic shock must be treated in the emergency room or carry with them at all times a doctor-prescribed anaphylactic shock medicine kit with antihistamines and a syringe of epinephrine to reverse the reaction.
Diagnosis can be made by a skin test in which skin is pricked and different kinds of fish protein are sprinkled on the opening.  A hive will appear if the person is allergic to the fish.  A blood test can also be done to see if there are histamines in the blood after an allergic reaction.

People can have an easier time avoiding fish and fish products than they can wheat, gluten, corn or other foods that cause allergies. However, the treatment for a fish allergy is not to eat any fish or products containing fish,  being careful to always read labels. While the names of fish can be easy to spot, other products have fish oils, additives or proteins.  These include Caesar salad dressing, Worcestershire sauce, gelatin, Thai fish sauce, bouillabaisse, fumet (fish stock), and omega-3 supplements, among others

In addition, there is a fish parasite, anisakis simplex, that can cause the same kind of fish allergies as fish themselves.  This is another place to look if you have eliminated all of the fish but you are still triggering allergic reactions.  Fish is one of eight allergens identified by U..S. law as one which must be put on the label of any product containing it,  even if it’s just a small amount.

Tuna and mackerel are considered to be kinds of fish that cause the fewest number of allergic reactions.  By meeting with your doctor or nutritionist, you can easily set up a fish-free diet and meal plan that will enable you to live with any kind of fish allergy.

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Chocolate allergies may cause asthma symptoms in susceptible people especially when a person is allergic to more than one ingredient in the chocolate. Some of the common ingredients include cocoa, milk, caffeine, gluten, soy lecithin, phenyl-ethylamine, nuts, theo-bromine, and dyes.

Chocolate allergy symptoms may include

• anxiety,
• confusion,
• headaches,
• hives,
• irritability,
• nausea,
• eczema,
• itching,
• watery eyes,
• runny nose,
• sneezing,
• wheezing,
• coughing,
• heartburn,
• difficulty breathing due to inflammation of the airway, and
• anaphylaxis or shock.

A diagnosis can be done through a skin test or a blood test that reveals antibodies in the blood stream. Treatments that can help with the symptoms include antihistamines, bronchodilators, corticosteroids, and epinephrine. The treatment largely depends upon the severity of the symptoms or reaction to the allergen. Of course, avoidance will help to prevent the reaction and discomfort.

Antihistamines can help to relieve the itching, digestive distress, watery eyes, sneezing, and the irritability. They can be obtained through a prescription or can be purchased over-the-counter at a drug store. The prescription antihistamines are less likely to cause drowsiness. People who experience asthma symptoms with chocolate allergies will probably need to use bronchodilators and corticosteroids to help with shortness of breath, wheezing, coughing, and inflammation. Epinephrine can be kept at home in an auto-injector so that it can be administered as soon as a person has a reaction. This can be used for any type of allergy and should be used as soon as possible to prevent anaphylaxis or shock.

Allergies seem to run in families and children who have both parents with symptoms seem to be at increased risk of developing them. Some sources believe that one of the main underlying reasons that lead to the development of symptoms have to do with a depressed or weak immune system. Other possible links may include chemicals and preservatives found in most processed foods. The most common foods that cause problems in susceptible individuals are wheat, dairy, shellfish, eggs, and peanuts. Chocolate allergy symptoms are similar to the reaction caused by other food sensitivities. Some of the worse reactions have been linked to peanuts and shellfish. Other possible food allergens may be found in products that contain proteins and yeast or molds. Some of these are soybeans, pickles, avocado, tomato, coffee, beans, cheese, wine, and beer.

People who have food sensitivities should make it a practice to read all product labels. Another good idea is to keep a food diary and record any time there is a reaction. This can help to narrow down the foods that a person is allergic or sensitive to so that he or she can avoid them in the future. For someone who is extremely sensitive doctors often recommend eliminated any foods that are possible culprits and then adding them back into the diet very slowly to find out which ones are offending foods. Someone with chocolate allergies will want to watch out for anything that has any of the ingredients found in chocolate such as cocoa and milk. “And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to Me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on Me shall never thirst”(John 6:35).

To diagnose a suspected allergen there are a few different things that can help to do this. Skin tests can be done with the suspected substance to see if there is a reaction to the skin. A reaction that indicates positive would be the showing of redness, inflammation, and irritation. A doctor may choose to use blood tests to measure the amount of the antibodies in the blood stream to the suspected substance. Someone with chocolate allergy symptoms who is also suffering with asthma may need a pulmonary function test. This test measures the amount of airflow through a device called a spirometer. After airflow is measured then the patient is given a bronchodilator and airflow is measured again. With the bronchodilator the patient should have improved airflow; if this happens then the test will show positive for asthma. Doctors also use a skin patch test; the patch is soaked with the allergen and then taped to the person’s skin for up to two days. If a rash develops then the test will be positive.

Food allergies in individuals involve a response by a person’s immune system that is usually caused by a protein. When the body perceives a foreign invader then it produces antibodies to defend against that invader. These antibodies attach to the cells and contain chemicals called histamines and leukotrienes. So if the body sees cocoa or some other additive in chocolate as an invader then the chemicals are released and the person starts experiencing chocolate allergy symptoms. This reaction should not be taken lightly because it can lead to shock. Some of the beginning signs that this could be happening are itching in the roof of the mouth, swelling of the eyes, hives, shortness of breath, increased heart rate, and swelling of the throat.

There are additives in chocolate that may be the reason for the sensitivity. Much of what is purchased in stores contains milk, nuts, wheat or gluten, soy, and corn. These may be listed on the ingredient list as casein, whey, gluten, soy lecithin, and corn syrup. So individuals who think they have chocolate allergies may really have sensitivities to one or more of the ingredients. A person who has sensitivities to ingredients may not have any symptoms unless a large amount is consumed. For a proper diagnosis and the latest treatment a person should see a physician for an examination and inform the doctor about any symptoms that he or she is experiencing.

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Question

When I was little I had a milk allergy of which I grew out of. Therefore, my son also has the risk of getting it.
My son is 7 ½ months. Should I avoid giving him yogurt and cheese?

Answer

When you talk about milk allergy or hypersensitivity to milk you distinguish between allergies and intolerances. When it comes to allergies, the body produces antibodies against milk, and therefore allergies can be determined by a skin prick test or through a blood test. By intolerance no antibodies are formed and as such a positive determination can be difficult.

It is typical children under one year of age, who develops hypersensitivity to milk. The symptoms will be vomiting, diarrhea, eczema, asthma, swollen mucous membranes, in for example the eyes. It is always very important to have your child diagnosed by your doctor. If he suspect your child suffer from milk allergy, he will often put your child on a diet and the doctor will then make a provocation with milk. Since this is not entirely without risk, we should as parents not try to do this ourselves, and often it will take place at the hospital.

It is very important that if you as a parent, have any suspicion of milk allergy, that you contact your doctor and talk to your doctor about this. If you begin to put your child on a diet, without there actually is reason for this, it will, first of all be sorry for the child and secondly, there will be a risk that the child will be malnutritioned.

If the child has been diagnosed with hypersensitivity to milk, you should not give you child yogurt or products based on cow’s milk. A child with milk allergy should have hydrolysed infant formula, up to 3 years of age, to cover its needs for energy and calcium.

Whether or not you should feed your child products made with cow’s milk depends on whether you know that he has allergy to milk or not. If you, by your doctor has been prescribed hydrolysed infant formula for you child, in addition to breast feeding, then the doctor had a reasonable suspicion that you need to follow up on. If your son so far has been given ordinary formula and also gets cow’s milk in its porridge, etc., it should be no problem to give him yogurt and cheese.

Continued good luck with him,

Maya

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Allergy to chocolate or cocoa is very rare. A survey shows that only 1 out of 500 who believe they have chocolate allergy, in fact tested positive to the chocolate.

The most frequent complaints are headache / migraine after ingestion of chocolate. These reactions are probably more intolerance or sensitivity than food allergies.

Chocolate is known to cause headaches, obesity, heartburn and irritability and depression. Most probably these reactions are due to other ingredients of chocolate such as milk, soybean, lecithin, gluten and nuts.

There are 380 known additives in chocolate. They can have pleasant and unpleasant effects.

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What should you avoid?

If you suffer from pollen and latex allergies you might experience allergic symptoms when you eat certain fruits, vegetables, spices and nuts. This is called cross reactions.

Lists of foods
Below is a list of foods that may cross react with pollen or latex. Under the headlines birch pollen, grass pollen and sagebrush pollen and latex, you can see the foods that may cause symptoms.

The lists are not prohibition lists, but can be used as a guide to which foods you should be aware of. It is rare that you get symptoms from all the food that is listed under each main group. You may therefore eat the fruits and vegetables that do not give you the symptoms, even if they are on the list. In addition, you may react to food, that is not on the list.

Birch Pollen
Food, which may trigger allergic reactions by birch pollen allergy

Fruits:
Apricot, Plum, Peach, Cherry, Kiwi, Nectarine, Pear, Apple

Vegetables:
Carrot, Potato, Tomato, Pepper, Celery

Nuts:
Hazel nut, Peanut, Almond, Pistachio, Walnut

Grass Pollen
Food, which can trigger allergic reactions by grass pollen allergy

Fruits:
Orange, Melon

Vegetables:
Tomato, Pea

Nuts:
Peanut

Sagebrush Pollen
Food, which may trigger allergic reactions by sagebrush allergy

Fruit:
Melon, Sun flower seeds

Vegetables:
Pepper fruit, Carrot, Pasternak, Parsley, Celery

Herbs:
Chamomile, Parsley

Spices and herbs
Spices and herbs, which may trigger allergic reactions by pollen allergy

Anis, Curry, Merian, Basil, Coriander, Oregano, Dill, Caraway, Paprika, Tarragon and Black pepper,

Spices and herbs may trigger symptoms, if you are allergic to celery and is allergic to sagebrush pollen or birch pollen. Reactions to the spices and herbs are rare.

Exotic fruits and vegetables
Some people with pollen allergy may experience unexpected symptoms when they eat raw exotic fruits and vegetables, for instance on travels. If you normally have strong reactions to food, it is a good idea to start with small bits of fruit and vegetables until you know whether you can tolerate them or not.

Latex allergy
Food, which may trigger allergic reactions by latex allergy

Avocado, Banana, Figs, Chestnut, Kiwi, Papaya, Potato, Tomato

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• occur when you eat the food you can not tolerate,
• disappear or decrease when you stop eating the food, and
• come back when you eat the food again.

Hypersensitivity to food are divided into food allergies and non-allergic food hypersensitivity.

Food allergies

Food allergies occur, when specific proteins (allergens) in food affects the body’s immune system. The body may respond by forming allergy antibodyIgE. The antibody is directed at the food you are allergic to. In rare cases, IgE is not formed, but the allergy is triggered in a different way. Coeliac disease an example on this – although coeliac disease normally is not considered as an allergic disease.

When you eat the food you can not tolerate, there is an allergic reaction with symptoms from the eyes, nose, lungs, skin, stomach and intestinal canal or heart-cardio vascular system. Most common two or more symptoms are seen.

It is different how much of the allergen, is required to produce symptoms, but in some cases even very small quantities can trigger severe symptoms.

The allergy antibody is measured by an allergy test – either a blood sample or a test on the skin, known as a priktest. Other tests, such as lappetest on the skin, are used in rare cases to investigate for other allergic mechanisms.

The allergy test is not enough to make the final diagnosis. 

Non-allergic food hypersensitivity

In non-allergic food hypersensitivity there is no allergic reaction from the body. The response can not be measured by an allergy test.

Most often, the symptoms of the non-allergic food hypersensitivity is lighter and comes later than with food allergy, and often you must eat more of the food (the allergen) before experiencing symptoms. You can not however, from the symptoms alone distinguish between food allergy and non-allergic food hypersensitivity.

Hypersensitivity to food additives is usually a non-allergic food hypersensitivity like sensitivity to milk (xyz). Some of the diseases, which falls under the non-allergic food hypersensitivity, was formerly called intolerance. 

The diagnosis

A blood sample or a skin prick test can only be used to support a presumption of allergy, but is never enough to make the diagnosis of food hypersensitivity. This diagnosis can only be made final by comparing the medical history and test with a period of diet and a provocation. During the diet, you should not eat the suspected food. In the subsequent provocation, you must eat them again.

In both food and non-allergic food hypersensitivity symptoms will disappear or be reduced when dieting and return when provoked. 

Contact allergy and food

Contact allergy may occur when chemicals comes in contact with the skin. The contact allergy appears as eczema on the skin. Nickel allergy is an example of contact allergy.

If you have a contact allergy,  such as nickel allergy, you might experience in rare cases, that the skin symptoms will flare up if you eat food that contains nickel in sufficient quantities.

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Allergies to nuts

Nuts are healthy, but they can also cause allergy reactions.
Does your mouth and throat tickle when you eat nuts?
Do you experience hay fever symptoms or hives of eating the smallest piece of almond?

If so it may be signs of allergies to nuts or an allergic cross-reaction to birch pollen.

Both children and adults can react allergic to nuts. We have no accurate records of how many that suffers from tree nut allergy. Most will be young people and adults with birch pollen allergy, experiencing a so-called “cross-reaction”, because their bodies can not distinguish between the allergenic substances in pollen and nuts.

Allergy-reactions to nuts occurs in the majority, just after they have eaten nuts – some will first experience symptoms after a few hours or longer. It is especially hazelnuts, which may give allergic, but also almonds, Brazil nuts and walnuts.

- If you experience symptoms of allergy to nuts – whether it is a cross-reaction or a nut allergy – you must immediately stop eating the nuts, rinse the mouth and possibly take antihistamines if symptoms are mild. If you experience violent reactions, a should doctor assess the situation, but it should be stressed that the vast majority are experiencing mild symptoms.

Yet the advice is that if you already once have responded towards nuts, you should avoid precisely that kind of nuts entirely.

Allergy tests

If you experience allergic reactions to nuts – and you do not know whether you already have pollen allergy – it’s a good idea to have see your doctor for an allergy test for pollen allergy. This is done through a skin prick test or a blood test.

If the test is positive, further studies are rarely necessary. In that case you are allergic to pollen, and it is quite normal that you also react to nuts.

Is the test is negative, a skin test or blood test specifically for nuts reveals exactly which nuts, you can not tolerate.

- If you respond to one kind of nuts is does not necessarily mean that you also respond to other nuts. When allergic to hazel nuts, however, it is quite common also to respond to other tree nuts – such as walnut.

Raw vs. treated nuts

In everyday life, it may seem like a be an obstacle run to avoid nuts all together, because they can be found in many products – such as breakfast cereals, bread, cakes, confectionery and sweets.

– Some foods may contain very small amounts of nuts, without any information about it on the label. For example the product may have been in contact with nuts during production. Here, the producer may choose to write ‘May contain traces of …’ on the product, but it may still be enough for people with allergies to birch pollen and nuts to experience symptoms.

Nut lovers, that reacts allergic to nuts, do however not have to quit eating nuts all together.

– A lot of people who have allergy symptoms to nuts, reacts only on the raw and unprocessed nuts, but can withstand the nuts, as long as they are baked, fried or boiled.

Nuts, that often gives allergic reactions:

• Hazelnut
• Cashew nut
• Almond
• Brazil nut
• Walnut

Nuts, seeds and grains, which rarely gives allergic reactions:

• Poppy seeds
• Pumpkin seeds
• Chestnuts
• Coconuts
• Pecan nuts
• Pine nuts
• Pistachio nuts
• Sesame seeds
• Sun flower seeds

Be careful

• Breakfast cereals – especially muesli often contain nuts.
• Bread – the nuts may be added (such as walnuts).
• Cold cuts – for example contains the Italian sausage Mortadella pistachios.
• Dinner meals – particularly African, Chinese, Indonesian, Mexican, Thai and Vietnamese dishes often contain nuts.
• Cookies, sweets, ice, etc. – Remember: Marzipan is made of almonds, nougat is made of hazelnuts, macaroons may contain marzipan / almonds. Many salads are sprinkled with nuts, cheese and ice are often decorated with nuts.

Peanuts – not a nut!

Despite the name, peanuts are not a nut but a legume. Peanuts has actually no allergens in common with nuts.

If you are allergic to peanuts, you do not necessarily have to avoid other nuts, unless you have a clean nut allergy together with your peanut allergy.

If you do have a clean peanut allergy, you may also react to other legumes – such as green peas, soy, beans and lentils.

Severe symptoms

Peanuts appear in breakfast cereals, peanut butter, some exotic dinners, sauces, dressings and cakes, desserts, sweets, snacks and ice. In the declaration on the food, the peanuts typically hides under names such as groundnut oil, peanut butter and peanut oil.

Symptoms of peanut allergy are – like nut allergy – itching in the mouth and throat, hay fever symptoms and hives. In addition, peanut allergy more often gives violent symptoms such as severe asthma attacks and allergic shock.
– With peanut allergy, often only very small quantities are needed to trigger symptoms. That is why it is important to talk with their doctor about what to do if you by a mistake eat peanuts. You might for instance need to always have fast working medicine with you – such as an EpiPen.

Nuts are also healthy

With a small handful (3/4 – 1 oz) of nuts daily, you can prevent heart disease. In fact you reduce your risk of 20-40 per cent compared to those who do not eat nuts.

Although nuts contain lots of ‘healthy fat’, it is still fat. Therefore you should not just add 1 oz. of nuts on top of you daily diet – unless you want to gain weight. Instead you could replace other forms of fat – such as the saturated and hard fat from the butter or margarine – with peanut butter. As a snack, nuts are also good, but choose those without salt or sugar.

If you are allergic to nuts, you do not have to do without the nuts healthy benefits.

Mainly because you probably do not respond to all nuts. Secondary because many only react to raw nuts – not nuts, which are baked, fried or boiled.

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Allergy to chocolate or cocoa is very rare. A survey shows that only 1 out of 500 who believe they have chocolate allergy, in fact tested positive to the chocolate.

The most frequent complaints are headache or migraine after ingestion of chocolate. These reactions are probably more intolerance or sensitivity than food allergies.

Most probably these reactions are due to other ingredients of chocolate such as milk, soybean, lecithin, gluten and nuts.

There are 380 known additives in chocolate. They can have pleasant and unpleasant effects.

Signs and symptoms of chocolate allergy

There are several symptoms experienced by people that have an allergy to chocolate or chocolate ingredients. These symptoms may be caused by the chemicals in chocolate or by the other ingredients. Reactions to chocolate may include:

• Headache
• Heartburn
• Rectal itching
• Hives
• Confusion
• Breathing problems

In severely allergic people, chocolate allergies may trigger anaphylaxis – an allergic reaction involving two or more body systems that can lead to the potentially life-threatening anaphylactic shock. Symptoms of anaphylaxis may include:

• Shortness of breath
• Wheezing
• Dizziness or lightheadedness
• Chest pain or tightness
• Confusion
• Severe drop in blood pressure
• Heart palpitations
• Nausea and vomiting
• Diarrhea or stomach cramps
• Loss of consciousness

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