Egg allergy

An egg allergy is ranked as one of the top eight allergens among people today. An allergy to eggs is mostcommon in children, but is not exclusively linked to them. According to studies by the Allergy and AsthmaFoundation of America, 45% of children with an egg allergy outgrow it by the time they are five years oldand an additional 50% of children with an egg allergy outgrow it by the time they turn 17. The remaining 5%of people carry an allergy to eggs into adulthood. Egg allergies include a wide range of symptoms and can betested for in different ways. Luckily, an allergy to eggs is easier to adjust to than other food allergies.

Symptoms and Diagnosis

Like many food allergies, an egg allergy can be difficult to diagnose at first. Food allergies manifestdifferently in each person. While some people with allergies experience no symptoms, others may breakout in hives or experience anaphylactic symptoms; others will display a variety of gastrointestinal symptomsincluding stomach cramps, vomiting and nausea. When a person with an egg allergy ingests eggs it causesan overreaction within the immune system. This can lead to severe physical conditions. Inside the body,antibodies react against the albumin proteins within a hen’s eggs. An egg allergy is diagnosed through a seriesof blood tests or traditional skin prick testing that is used to determine many allergies. An egg allergy is oftena precursor or appears in conjunction with other food allergies, most commonly an allergy to gluten and/ordairy.

Life with Egg Allergies

Dealing with an egg allergy is easier than other some other types of food allergies. While many products docontain eggs or egg byproducts, there are also a large number that do not. For baking, a person can substitutean egg powder replacement that is mixed with low fat milk or water. In general otherwise, a person with anegg allergy should avoid all forms of eggs and its derivatives that are used in the production of products.Due to legislation passed by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) all product manufacturers must listif their items contain or are processed in a facility that also processes foods that contain any of the top eightallergies, including egg. Additionally, many restaurants on both the private and corporate levels have startedlisting allergen warnings on their websites and some are even carrying allergy-friendly menu guides in theestablishment.


Top 5 search terms for this item: