ALLERGIES TO FOOD – CAUSES
Allergic conditions are a little like rheumatic disorders — they’re common in our community but tend to be forgotten when there’s money for research.
Figures show that between 10 and 20 per cent of the population suffer from one or more allergies and over 80 per cent of families have a sufferer.
It’s not only pollens and dust which may offend — but food. Allergy to food may cause a variety of symptoms, including hives or urticaria, asthma, rhinitis or nasal problems, eczema, gastro-intestinal troubles and even migraine.
Animal foods such as cow’s milk and hen’s eggs are the most common but shell fish, some vegetables and fruit are also recognised as potent allergens.
A great deal of attention has been focused on cow’s milk because of its widespread use in infant feeding. The gut of infants appears to be able to absorb the proteins of this food without digesting them so they enter the bloodstream and can provoke the onset of allergy.
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