Prevention of Food Allergy -- milk

Medical news about treatments for Food Allergy -- milk

These medical news articles may be relevant to Food Allergy -- milk treatment:

• Food allergy vaccine effective in dogs
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Treatments for Food Allergy -- milk

Treatments to consider for Food Allergy -- milk may include:

• Avoid foods containing the allergen, adrenaline injection if anaphylactic reaction occurs, antihistamines, bronchodilators for asthmatic symptoms
• more treatments...»

Prevention of Food Allergy -- milk:

Exclusive breast feeding (excluding all other foods) of infants for the first 6 to 12 months of life is often suggested to avoid milk or soy allergies from developing within that time frame. Such breast feeding often allows parents to avoid infant-feeding problems, especially if the parents are allergic (and the infant therefore is likely to be allergic). There are some children who are so sensitive to a certain food, however, that if the food is eaten by the mother, sufficient quantities enter the breast milk to cause a food reaction in the child. Mothers sometimes must themselves avoid eating those foods to which the baby is allergic.

There is no conclusive evidence that breast feeding prevents the development of allergies later in life. It does, however, delay the onset of food allergies by delaying the infant's exposure to those foods that can prompt allergies, and it may avoid altogether those feeding problems seen in infants. By delaying the introduction of solid foods until the infant is 6 months old or older, parents can also prolong the child's allergy-free period.

Controversial Issues

There are several disorders thought by some to be caused by food allergies, but the evidence is currently insufficient or contrary to such claims. It is controversial, for example, whether migraine headaches can be caused by food allergies. There are studies showing that people who are prone to migraines can have their headaches brought on by histamines and other substances in foods. The more difficult issue is whether food allergies actually cause migraines in such people. There is virtually no evidence that most rheumatoid arthritis or osteoarthritis can be made worse by foods, despite claims to the contrary. There is also no evidence that food allergies can cause a disorder called the allergic tension fatigue syndrome, in which people are tired, nervous, and may have problems concentrating, or have headaches.

Cerebral allergy is a term that has been applied to people who have trouble concentrating and have headaches as well as other complaints. This is sometimes attributed to mast cells degranulating in the brain but no other place in the body. There is no evidence that such a scenario can happen, and most doctors do not currently recognize cerebral allergy as a disorder.

Another controversial topic is environmental illness. In a seemingly pristine environment, some people have many non-specific complaints such as problems concentrating or depression. Sometimes this is attributed to small amounts of allergens or toxins in the environment. There is no evidence that such problems are due to food allergies.

Some people believe hyperactivity in children is caused by food allergies. But researchers have found that this behavioral disorder in children is only occasionally associated with food additives, and then only when such additives are consumed in large amounts. There is no evidence that a true food allergy can affect a child's activity except for the proviso that if a child itches and sneezes and wheezes a lot, the child may be miserable and therefore more difficult to guide. Also, children who are on anti-allergy medicines that can cause drowsiness may get sleepy in school or at home.

Controversial Diagnostic Techniques

One controversial diagnostic technique is cytotoxicity testing, in which a food allergen is added to a patient's blood sample. A technician then examines the sample under the microscope to see if white cells in the blood "die." Scientists have evaluated this technique in several studies and have not been found it to effectively diagnose food allergy.

Another controversial approach is called sublingual or, if it is injected under the skin, subcutaneous provocative challenge. In this procedure, dilute food allergen is administered under the tongue of the person who may feel that his or her arthritis, for instance, is due to foods. The technician then asks the patient if the food allergen has aggravated the arthritis symptoms. In clinical studies, researchers have not shown that this procedure can effectively diagnose food allergies.

An immune complex assay is sometimes done on patients suspected of having food allergies to see if there are complexes of certain antibodies bound to the food allergen in the bloodstream. It is said that these immune complexes correlate with food allergies. But the formation of such immune complexes is a normal offshoot of food digestion, and everyone, if tested with a sensitive enough measurement, has them. To date, no one has conclusively shown that this test correlates with allergies to foods.

Another test is the IgG subclass assay, which looks specifically for certain kinds of IgG antibody. Again, there is no evidence that this diagnoses food allergy.

Controversial Treatments

Controversial treatments include putting a dilute solution of a particular food under the tongue about a half hour before the patient eats that food. This is an attempt to "neutralize" the subsequent exposure to the food that the patient believes is harmful. As the results of a carefully conducted clinical study show, this procedure is not effective in preventing an allergic reaction.

Summary

Food allergies are caused by immunologic reactions to foods. There actually are several discrete diseases under this category, and a number of foods that can cause these problems.

After one suspects a food allergy, a medical evaluation is the key to proper management. Treatment is basically avoiding the food(s) after it is identified. People with food allergies should become knowledgeable about allergies and how they are treated, and should work with their physicians.

Resources

HOTLINE:
National Jewish Medical and Research Center in Denver.
Nurses available to answer questions
1/800/222-LUNG
http://www.njc.org/

ALLERGY REFERRALS:
American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology
611 East Wells Street
Milwaukee, WI 53202
1/800/822-2762.
http://www.aaaai.org/scripts/find-a-doc/main.asp

EXTRACTS FOR ALLERGY TESTING:
U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research
1/800/835-4709
http://www.fda.gov/cber/index.html

ECZEMA:
National Arthritis, Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases Information Clearinghouse
One AMS Circle
Bethesda, MD 20892-3675
301/495-4484
http://www.nih.gov/niams/

American Academy of Dermatology
930 N. Meacham Rd.
Schaumburg, IL 60173
1/888/462-DERM
http://www.aad.org/

Eczema Association
1221 S.W. Yamhill, Suite 303
Portland, OR 97205
503/228-4430

LACTOSE INTOLERANCE and CELIAC SPRUE:
National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse
Box NDDIC
Bethesda, MD 20892
301/654-3810
http://www.niddk.nih.gov/health/digest/pubs/lactose/lactose.htm
http://www.niddk.nih.gov/health/digest/pubs/celiac/index.htm

FOOD CONTENTS:
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Food and Nutrition Information Center
301/436-7725
http://www.nalusda.gov/fnic/index.html

RECIPES:
American Dietetic Association
216 W. Jackson Boulevard
Chicago, IL 60606-6995
1/800/877-1600
http://www.eatright.org/

RESOURCES:
Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network
10400 Eaton Place, Suite 107
Fairfax, VA 22030
1/800/929-4040
http://www.foodallergy.org/

American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology
85 W. Algonquin Road, Suite 550
Arlington Heights, IL 60005
1/800/842-7777
http://allergy.mcg.edu/

Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America
1125 15^th Street, N.W., Suite 502
Washington, DC 20036
1/800/7-ASTHMA
http://www.aafa.org/ (Source: excerpt from Food Allergy and Intolerances, NIAID Fact Sheet: NIAID)

Prevention Claims: Food Allergy -- milk

Information on prevention of Food Allergy -- milk comes from many sources. There are some sources that claim preventive benefits for many different diseases for various products. We may present such information in the hope that it may be useful, however, in some cases claims of Food Allergy -- milk prevention may be dubious, invalid, or not recognized in mainstream medicine. Please discuss any treatment, discontinuation of treatment, or change of treatment plans with your doctor or professional medical specialist.

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