Durban - In World Allergy Week, which ends on Monday April 14, the Allergy Society of South Africa is profiling the global theme, “Food Allergy – A Rising Global Health Problem”.
The society wishes to highlight the potentially fatal allergic condition, anaphylaxis, and urging people to learn about food allergies and anaphylaxis.
The incidence and consequences of both are frequently under-recognised, with potentially life-threatening consequences.
Anaphylaxis is a serious, sudden and severe allergic reaction that may be life-threatening. It must be treated as an emergency, and patients who have anaphylaxis or are at risk must know how to prevent exposure to potential triggers and to recognise early signs and be prepared for emergency treatment at any time.
The most common anaphylactic reactions are to foods, insect and bee stings, medications and latex.
If you are allergic to a substance, your immune system overreacts to this allergen by releasing chemicals that cause allergy symptoms.
Typically, these symptoms occur in one area of the body.
However, some people are susceptible to a much more serious anaphylactic reaction.
Food hypersensitivity is the non-specific term which refers to any adverse or untoward reaction to food or food additives.
Food allergy is a type of food hypersensitivity in which the body’s immune system is directly involved and overreacts to a particular protein in that food.
There are several types of hypersensitivity reaction to foods that are non-allergic. Some of the symptoms of food intolerance and food allergy are similar, but the differences between the two are very important.
Food allergy reactions can be life-threatening, in some cases even in response to tiny amounts of the food, so people with this type of allergy must be careful to avoid their food triggers.
Food intolerances are not life-threatening and the person may often tolerate small amounts of the triggering food, and have symptoms only on intake of larger amounts.
Another interesting cause of a non-allergic reaction is psychological reactions to foods in people who are convinced that they cannot tolerate a certain food.
For more information, visit www.allergysa.org or www.worldallergy.org – Daily News