Finding out what causes allergies can be difficult at best. The first step is to identify your culprit foods. How is that done?
It's hard to pinpoint exactly what causes allergies, especially if you have a delayed allergic response.
People with an immediate-onset allergy generally react to one or two foods, while those with a delayed-onset sensitivity may react to as many as 15. Keep reading to learn how to find out what causes allergies and the body's allergic response.
How the Allergic Reaction Works
A food allergy is actually an immune system function. Basically, the body senses a substance that it doesn't like or want inside the body. It responds by releasing white blood cells along with histamine and leukotrienes, which cause inflammation. That inflammation can occur in the stomach, intestinal tract, throat, mouth or in the form of a rash.
In addition to sending out white blood cells, the immune system also powers up its antibodies. These try to rid the body of any traces of the offending food in the intestinal tract, blood or stomach. Unfortunately, they can cause long-term harm.
With immediate-onset allergies, symptoms will appear within one to two hours of eating even a small amount of culprit food. They often manifest as hives, hay fever, asthma or swelling of the mouth, lips or respiratory tract.
With delayed allergic reactions, you may not see symptoms for as many as 3 days. Typically, delayed reactions are caused by a large amount of the culprit food.
What Foods Cause Allergies
Keep a Food Diary
Keep a food diary for three months, recording everything you eat and any symptoms. This may help you to identify an obvious relationship between a food and an adverse reaction.
Eliminate Culprit Foods
When you think a particular food may be causing your allergies, try to stop eating it for at least three weeks. Once the food is out of your system, try reintroducing it. If you experience the symptoms, then you've found your allergy.
If you believe your allergy may be caused by multiple culprit foods, try eliminating all the suspect items from your diet for three weeks. After this cleansing period, begin to eat a little of each individual food, one-by-one. Allow for a four-day window between introductions. During this period, keep a careful eye on your symptoms.
Sometimes, eliminating certain foods which were previously staples of your diet can lead to withdrawal symptoms like fatigue, headaches and aches and pains. That's not at all unusual and ought not alarm you.
Eliminate the Culprit Food
Once you've found your culprit food, it's time to eliminate it from your diet. Ideally, your symptoms should disappear within 3 to 6 months. Sometimes, if the allergy isn't severe, the foods can be gradually reintroduced in small amounts. Before you do so with certain foods, though, you may want to consult with your doctor or a nutritionist.
By creating an awareness of what you eat and how it affects your body, you can begin to learn the causes of your allergies and take appropriate action.
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