How to spot food allergies as an adult

19th January 2022

How to spot food allergies as an adult

Imagine you’re out for a meal with your family or friends. It’s a restaurant you’ve been to countless times before. You order your favourite meal that you always have. It arrives, it looks as tasty as ever, and you dig in. Then something strange happens.

You’ve never experienced this before, but all of a sudden, you feel your throat start to close. You struggle to breathe and then you realise. You’re having an allergic reaction.

It sounds unbelievable, but this can happen to anyone. One day, out of the blue, you can develop a food allergy as an adult. It’s happened to many people and is more common than you think. But why does it happen? And how can you spot it?

Developing an adult food allergy

Why do people suddenly develop a deadly food allergy as adults? Unfortunately, no one’s really sure. It’s something our bodies do and there’s seemingly no rhyme or reason (that we know of). But it’s the reality for a lot of people.

More than 48% of people with a food allergy developed it as an adult. And 51% of those adults with allergies will experience a serious reaction at some point. But, at the same time, while 20% of adults self-diagnose a food allergy, only 10% really have one. Usually because they’ve mixed it up with an intolerance.

It makes figuring out you have a new allergy a bit tricky. But here are some warning signs you can look out for.

Spotting a food allergy

Allergic reactions to food often have one or more of these symptoms:

• Tingling sensation in the mouth
• Itchy rashes
• Sneezing
• Swelling around the face and mouth
• Difficulty swallowing
• Trouble breathing

That’s our body reacting to the substance it (all of a sudden) doesn’t agree with. The worst symptom is anaphylactic shock. This is extremely worrying and can be life-threatening. It usually includes difficulty breathing, a drop in blood pressure, and even a loss of consciousness.

Keep your eye out for any of these symptoms if you’re feeling something out of the ordinary. The most common culprits will be peanuts, fish, shellfish, and tree nuts. Though this isn’t an exhaustive list.

The most important point? If you ever suspect you have a new allergy as an adult, consult a doctor. If you can, make it an allergy specialist. They will be able to accurately diagnose whether you do have an allergy. Then they can give you the advice you need to adjust and live a comfortable life.

Don’t ignore the warning signs and don’t take your medical care into your own hands. Always take allergies seriously.

We’re here for you if you ever suddenly develop an allergy. You can book in for a consultation here or call us on 02031 433 449.

Anisakis simplex: what is it?

28th November 2018

Anisakis simplex: what is it?

An allergy to seafood such as shellfish is common, but it isn’t always that simple. There’s a small chance that something else might be the cause of your allergic reaction, known as anisakis simplex. Although this can make individuals suffer from symptoms similar to food poisoning, it can induce allergic responses in others. The infection itself is called anisakiasis, or herring worm disease.

What is it?

Simply put, anisakis is a parasitic worm that infects marine fish and shellfish, but unfortunately, through our consumption of seafood, it can go on to infect people too, known as anisakiasis. A common parasite in fish, cases of anisakiasis in humans have increased over the last 50 years. It has been more frequent in Japan where raw fish consumption is high.

The infections can happen when we eat the fish, causing inflammation in parts of the body including the oesophagus, stomach, or intestine. The easiest way to avoid it is to stop eating fish altogether, but that isn’t likely to happen. Restaurants with high food hygiene ratings are more likely to be safer, so do your research before you dine out.

Symptoms

Along with those mentioned above, several symptoms can suggest you might have a case of anisakiasis, including:

• Hives
• Abdominal pain
• Nausea or vomiting

Individuals may also experience a tickling or tingling sensation in their mouth, and possibly the throat, after eating fish; this is a sign that the worm itself may still be in your mouth. Coughing this up before swallowing may help to prevent infection.

Allergies

Sometimes it can cause allergic reactions. It can be difficult to diagnose an anisakis allergy as people will confuse it with a seafood allergy. Any allergic reaction should be treated seriously as it can lead to anaphylaxis. If this is the case, seek help immediately. Avoiding seafood might be a suitable solution if you suffer from the symptoms after eating seafood, even if not caused by the simplex.

If you react to a fish you’ve eaten before, this could be a sign of anisakis allergy. Alternatively, you may have developed a late on-set allergy to fish or histamine poisoning. Histamine is sometimes present in fish such as tuna or mackerel, and the symptoms are similar to fish or simplex allergies.

If you think you have the condition, it’s critical to visit your GP to ensure that you don’t suffer from long-term effects such as small bowel obstruction.

Although you can find anisakis simplex in countries such as Japan who consume large amounts of raw fish, it is also present in the UK. Indeed, it has been reported in five different continents.

To prevent fish allergies or simplex infections, it is critical to avoid consuming poorly cooked fish, shellfish, and squid. We highly recommend being tested for allergies to take further precautions.

Request an allergy test from us today to put you on the right path to living allergy free. Don’t risk critical side effects like anaphylaxis, contact us today for more information to find out how we can help you.