Diseases and injuries – Page 52 – watercress words by Dr Aletha

One of the most informative lectures I heard recently was about food allergy, a common problem that patients and even physicians don’t always understand.

I welcomed the chance to hear from an expert to help me counsel my patients. I also have a personal interest since my grandson has food allergies; when he visits me, I have to be careful not to feed him foods he may react to.

The speaker, Kirsten Bennett, Ph.D. is a registered dietitian (RD) who specializes in counseling patients with food allergies. She presented data from research studies as well as from her clinical practice, and I’m sharing some of what she said with you.

How to manage food allergy with confidence-watercresswords.com

What is food allergy?

You may assume that any symptom due to eating a food is an allergy but there are many ways food can make us sick, including allergy, intolerance, toxic effects, and infection.

Dr. Bennett explained the difference between food allergy and food intolerance. (The other two will not be discussed here)

Allergy– is immune-mediated, meaning the immune system produces and releases antibodies after exposure to a food; celiac disease is due to food allergy.

Intolerance– does not involve the immune system, no antibodies are produced; this occurs in lactose intolerance.

Some foods such as wheat and milk can cause both allergy and intolerance.

cup of milk, plate of bread — Milk and wheat can cause allergy and intolerance.

So how do you know the difference? You can’t, without an appropriate medical evaluation, so it is important to see a physician if you suspect a food allergy.

Up to 10% of the population have true food allergy, while 50-90% of people who believe they have food allergy may not. An accurate diagnosis is important so the condition can be managed properly when appropriate, but not needlessly.

What causes food allergy?

The BIG 8 cause 90% of food allergy. These are

Milk
egg
peanut
fish
shellfish
soy
wheat
tree nut

Symptoms of food allergy

Almost any symptom can occur with allergy but the most common are

Rash with or without itching
Swelling of the face, lips, eyes
Watery, itchy eyes
Nasal drainage and/or congestion
Hoarse voice
Cough, wheezing, difficulty breathing
Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea
Dizziness, fainting
Low blood pressure, fast heart beat
Feeling of “impending doom”

How to diagnose food allergy

Although blood and skin testing may be helpful, the history is the first and most important step to identify food allergy. The evaluation may start with the answers to these 9 questions-

What are the symptoms?
What food was eaten that may have caused the symptoms and was it eaten before?
How much of the food was eaten?
Was the suspect food cooked or raw?
Has the food ever been eaten without symptoms?
Was else was the person doing or ingesting at the same time, such as exercise, medications, etc.?
Have the symptoms occurred without eating the food?
How were the symptoms treated and how long did they last?

What You Need to Know About Diagnostic Allergy Testing

by David Stukus, MD,Assistant Professor of Pediatrics in the Section of Allergy/Immunology at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, in Columbus Ohio.

Goals in managing food allergies

Allow the child (or adult) to live as normal a life as possible while avoiding foods that might cause allergic symptoms.

The fear of a serious food allergic reaction can cause a family to forgo normal activities and keep a child isolated. Dr. Bennett suggested these tactics to minimize food allergy anxiety.

Family of 4 sitting at a dining table. — Read food labels carefully to avoid inadvertently eating foods that cause allergy.

At home

Cook as a family ; Learn how to cook meat and other protein foods
Take children grocery shopping and engage them in food selection
Use at least 3 elements of the plate model for meal planning
Gather together and celebrate food and eating together
Practice manners and table talk
Make the home kitchen a safe sanctuary
Enjoy the food journey

Travel

Take foods along that are safe
Identify possible allergy risks in travel itinerary -Restaurants

At school

What does the school staff and administration know about food allergies?
Start a conversation Provide reference materials or community resources
Create a plan for inclusion
Partner with the school
Universal supports for all children

Find more Tips for Maintaining a Healthy Lifestyle from Kids With Food Allergies.org

Be prepared for an emergency allergic reaction.

Anaphylaxis

The greatest danger of any allergy is anaphylaxis, a life-threatening allergic reaction that impairs breathing and heart function.

a heart monitor showing a heart tracing EKG — Minutes matter with allergy emergencies

Anyone who cares for a person with food allergy needs to know what to do in case of a reaction. Schools and work places should have a plan for dealing with such emergencies.

Create and Maintain an Action Plan for school/work-

Develop an individualized Health Care Plan – which includes strategies for food avoidance as well as an Emergency Action Plan with specific actions to be taken in the event of accidental or purposeful ingestion of the allergenic food.

Maintain a current and backup supply of emergency medication

Epinephrine (Injectable)
antihistamine

Document specific instruction on transport to ER/ED (emergency room) for follow-up care
Emergency medications and plan need to be accessible at all times.

exploring the HEART of food allergy

I also addressed food allergy in this book review post.

Food Without Fear- a book about food allergy

The book “Food Without Fear” by Dr. Ruchi Gupta addresses food allergies, intolerances, and sensitivities. It covers topics such as the food reaction spectrum, the top food allergens, and managing food allergies in different settings. It also provides comprehensive resources and explores using epinephrine in allergy emergencies. The book aims to help individuals understand and…

Keep reading

Dr. Aletha

In a previous post I talked about non-drug methods to manage pain in the spine-neck and back. You may want to review it now, but reading this one first is fine. This post will focus on other painful conditions.

While people often discover methods to relieve pain that work for them, I am focusing here on treatments that are supported in the medical literature or recommended by knowledgeable professionals. For this post, I reviewed many articles which summarized current studies.

Finding trustworthy medical information

How do doctors know what works and what doesn’t? Since medical knowledge has changed since we went to medical school , how do we know what is current information?

We read literature pertinent to our fields on a regular basis, attend conferences, and talk to other doctors. But when we need a specific question answered , we do what you do-we Google it.

shelves in a library with adjacent computers — the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Library, located on the organization’s campus, in Atlanta, Georgia. The CDC collections span the field of public health. Print and electronic resources cover such topics as disease prevention, epidemiology, infectious diseases, global health, chronic diseases, environmental health, injury prevention, and occupational safety and health. The main library in Atlanta and selected branch libraries are open to the public. used courtesy CDC/ Emily Weyant; MSLIS; ORISE Fellow

One of the most frequently reviewed is PubMed listing more than 28 million citations for biomedical literature from MEDLINE, life science journals, and online books. The service is free and anyone can use it. PubMed is a service of the National Library of Medicine, the largest biomedical library in the world ,located in Bethesda, Maryland,

Another major reference is the Cochrane Library, a collection of databases in medicine and other healthcare specialties ; a fee is charged to use this service.

Basic points about complementary treatments for pain management

We should use medication and surgery when appropriate, but when these can’t be used or are not helpful, we can consider alternative methods, or what I and other doctors prefer to call complementary or integrative treatment.

This post focuses on symptom relief, not necessarily curative treatment.

Herbals and supplements are drugs and can be effective for certain conditions, but this post will discuss non-drug treatments only.

Many cases of pain improve spontaneously with no specific treatment.

Almost everything works sometimes.

There are few if any down side to any of these treatments. Used under supervision they are unlikely to have adverse side effects or result in long term complications.

The most important ingredient in managing a chronic or persistent condition is having a therapeutic relationship with your physician and other healthcare professionals- physical therapist , mental health counselor, nutritionist.

SIMPLE AND EFFECTIVE WAYS TO MANAGE CHRONIC PAIN-WATERCRESSWORDS.COM

Migraine

Migraine is more than just a bad headache; it is a disorder of the brain which causes pain as well as other common symptoms including nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to light and noise. Dizziness, numbness, and loss of vision occur less frequently.

diagram of the human brain. — The major parts of the brain, including the pineal gland, cerebellum, spinal cord, brain stem, pituitary gland, and cerebrum are labeled. I photo courtesy of Source: National Cancer Institute Creator: Alan Hoofring (Illustrator)

Most people with migraine require some type of medication for relief, but non-drug treatments can supplement meds and can be helpful for prevention. Integrative treatments that work according to studies include

acupuncture
biofeedback
CBT-cognitive behavioral therapy
exercise
meditation
relaxation training
yoga

Fibromyalgia

I mentioned fibromyalgia in my post about back and neck pain, but include it here since it causes pain in other body areas.

Fibromyalgia seems to be a disorder of nerves which makes them super sensitive, leading to diffuse muscle and joint pain that can become disabling. Complementary treatments recommended include

Mind-body-guided imagery, hypnosis, biofeedback, mindfulness meditation , relaxation
Tai chi
Hydrotherapy, balneotherapy

Osteoarthritis of the knees (degenerative arthritis)

It is likely that arthritis in other joints responds to these therapies but there aren’t enough large studies to confirm.

Acupuncture,
tai chi
walking and strengthening exercises
Balneotherapy-bathing in hot water mineral baths

people in a gym exercising — photo courtesy Amanda Mills, CDC.gov, Public Health Image Library

Tessa Frank discusses how she became frustrated when increasing doses of opioids didn’t relieve her chronic pain, and what she’s doing now to manage her pain.

How I’m Managing My Chronic Pain Without Opioids

“While I no longer use opioids, I do use non-opioid prescription medications and a spinal cord stimulator to provide pain relief for my CRPS, complex regional pain syndrome, a chronic, debilitating neuropathic pain condition.

I’m also hyperaware of how stress triggers my increased feelings of pain, so to mitigate stress, I personally have found relief in meditation, relaxation and yoga among other approaches.” (excerpt)

If you didn’t read it earlier, here’s a link to the previous post about treating pain, along with a brief excerpt.

Surprising effective ways to relieve back pain

“Pain in the spine results from many medical conditions, ranging from minor to life threatening. Most cases are due to routine or excessive physical activity or a minor injury causing strain of the muscles, tendons, and ligaments, and will go away with no or minimal intervention in less than 12 weeks.”

The affiliate product links in this post are for illustration and information only, and do not imply endorsement.

I am grateful when you like and share this post on social media.

Please consider helping support this blog by using my affiliates. You’ll find links in the side bars, on the home page, and on the resource page.

In a future post I will talk about non-drug treatments for other conditions.

always exploring the HEART of health with you.

Category: Diseases and injuries

How to manage food allergy with confidence

What is food allergy?

What causes food allergy?

Symptoms of food allergy

How to diagnose food allergy

What You Need to Know About Diagnostic Allergy Testing