Allergic skin reactions to food, medications and insects

Causes of allergic reaction

Many people are aware of the reactions and risk factors of allergy.

The most important ones are listed below.

1. Certain foods such as:

• Peanuts
• Strawberries
• Bunches of grapes
• Seafood (mussels and crustaceans) such as: prawns, clams,
• Beans
• Rocket
• Dairy products
• Wheat.

2. Children may have food allergies. There are over 160 allergenic foods.
Among the foods that can cause allergic reactions in children are:

• Milk
• Eggs
• Nuts
• Soy.

3. People with a grass allergy don’t just have to fear hay: some fruits and vegetables contain proteins similar to those found in hay pollen.
They can cause an allergic reaction, with itching and swelling of:

• Mouth
• Face
• Lips
• tongue,
• Suppository
• as well as a throat closure.

Known as oral allergy syndrome, this condition can occur when the immune system behaves as if the protein found in some fruits and vegetables resembles the pollen in the air.

4. Vaccines and medicines. Drugs that can cause a hypersensitivity reaction include:

• antibiotics such as penicillin, amoxicillin (Augmentin),
• sulfonamide (Drylin, Bactrim),
• non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (aspirin, nurofen, voltaren, alrheumun, ibuprofen),
• Heparin
• paracetamol (ben-u-ron),
• General anesthesia and local anesthesia (for example, at the dentist).

5. Other substances that can cause an allergic reaction are:

• latex (e.g. gloves and condoms),
• Dust
• shampoo, hair dye,
• Pollen
• Mould
• animal hair,
• nickel (may be found in earrings, bracelets, rings, etc.),
• essential oils in face masks,
• Poison ivy
• Detergent
• Colorants for tattoos.

6. Insect bites of bees, wasps or red ants can cause strong reactions that can be serious and affect the whole body.

7. Less common causes of allergic reactions include:

• mild traumas,
• warm or cold ambient temperatures,
• sporting activities,
• stress,
• strong emotions.

Foods to avoid for children

If the child is at high risk of a food allergy, for example, if one parent suffers from it, some pediatricians recommend not introducing this food before the first year of life.
For others, it is advisable to wait at least the first 8 months of the child’s life before starting food.
To reduce the risk of food allergy, the child’s digestive system must be mature enough to digest these foods.

Egg protein
eggs are among the foods that often cause allergies in children.
In most cases, the symptoms of an existing protein allergy appear within a few minutes to a few hours after eating eggs or foods containing chicken protein.
Some pediatricians advise against introducing protein before the first year of life, as a high percentage of young children are allergic to a protein contained in chicken protein.
You can give the child egg yolk from the 8th month.

Fish You should not give the child fish with a high mercury concentration.
These fish include:

• Grouper
• Dragonhead
• Saw belly
• Tuna (red)
• King mackerel
• Swordfish

Which fish are safe for children?
Below is a list of fish that pediatricians recommend.

You can eat fish from the age of 8 months up to 4 times a month:

1. Lean fish
   1. Hake
   2. Sole
   3. Plaice
2. Whiting
   • Cod
   • Sea bream
   • Sea bass
3. Fatty fish
   • Salmon

Honey
The child should be at least 1 year old.
Honey can contain botulism spores that produce dangerous toxins in the child’s intestines.

What happens in case of an egg allergy?

Eggs are not harmful in themselves, but when a person is allergic, the body thinks they are harmful substances.
Normally, the immune system fights an infection. However, when someone is allergic to a food like egg, the immune system reacts violently to the proteins in that food.

• Most people who are allergic to eggs react to the proteins in egg whites.
• Some, however, do not tolerate the proteins in the yolk.

This provokes an allergic reaction in which the body releases chemical substances such as histamine.

Avoid foods containing egg or any of these foods:
1. Albumin (contained in egg whites) 2. Egg (dried, powdered or solid egg yolk) 3. Zabaione
4. Lysozyme (egg protein, which is also found in donkey milk) 5. Mayonnaise
6. Meringue (meringue powder) 7. Surimi (crushed Japanese fish)

Eggs also occur in:
1. Baked goods
2. Lecithin
3. Macaroni
4. Marzipan
5. Torrone
6. Egg noodles

Cow’s milk allergy

About 2.5% of children under 3 years of age are allergic to cow’s milk.
Infants are not allergic to breast milk, but if the mother consumes large amounts of dairy products, the protein in the food can reach the child through breast milk during breastfeeding (sensitization).

Typically:

• the allergy occurs when the child begins to drink cow’s milk,
• The allergy is mainly caused by beta-lactoglobulins, which are not present in breast milk.

The consequence is an allergic reaction of the child to milk.

Unexpected milk sources:

1. Many non-dairy products contain casein (a milk by-product) listed as an ingredient on the packaging.
2. Some foods may contain casein as a thickener or binder, such as:

• some types of meat: canned meat, hamburer, etc.
• Sausages: e.g. cooked ham
• Frozen food
• Ready-made sauces
• soluble drinks or pods (malt coffee, ginseng)
• Sweets and sweets: chocolate, pudding, cream, ice cream, snacks during breaks

Pay attention to the labels.
3. Some restaurants put butter on steaks. The food is not visible after it has melted.
4. Artificial milk for the infant.

Allergic reaction during pregnancy

Can allergies harm my child?
If it is not a serious allergy (anaphylaxis) that interrupts the supply of oxygen during pregnancy, the child will not be harmed.

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