Allergic Reactions at Christmas: Which Foods Cause Them Most?

Tables full of food are a distinct symbol of Christmas Eve and Christmas celebrations. According to experts, this occasion is one of the most Food allergies can cause

Seven out of ten Severe allergic reactions According to experts, they occur when people eat out. Christmas is a time for family meals at other people's homes and restaurants, where, in many cases, the dishes are mixed up or the correct ingredients are not known in some dishes.

The thing is, apart from eating more than usual, there are usually too many of the products Condiments One Condiments affect people AllergiesOr they may even trigger an allergy in someone who is not affected by the condition.

So, since it's easy on these dates Some foods mask allergiesAllergy sufferers should take extra precautions, and hosts should avoid problems with guests.

Fish and shellfish They lead the list of foods that trigger the most allergy symptoms. continuously CondimentsThey can carry MasalaAnd this NutsMost Christmas desserts include

Maria Munoz Pereira He is an allergist at HM Montepríncipe and HM Puerta del Sur University Hospitals in Spain, and acknowledges that “it is very common to find patients with unknown food allergies during the Christmas holidays.” “Sometimes, especially in children, it's time for them to start consuming new foods like nuts and/or shellfish,” she noted. “Patients who already know they are allergic to a food are more likely to have a violation.”

On the other hand, the expert warned in a report from the hospitals, “Due to lack of time and meetings with many family members, they tend to eat processed and already cooked products, which, sometimes, do not have labeling. OK.”

“Plus, we do a lot more Food from home And we don't know what is being consumed. These are the dates when restaurants and convenience food stores are saturated and carelessness can easily occur, creating cross-contamination,” the allergist said.

To the teacher Path Dubakienė, from the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Vilnius in Lithuania, says, “Any fish can cause allergies; The Fish allergy “They are known to be strong, but mackerel and tuna are known to cause pseudo-allergic reactions, not the real thing.”

“Some people have allergies Masala, since the majority are of plant or animal origin – he continued about another food present in almost all products, which can trigger an allergy. For example, cinnamon and the synthetic fragrance compound coumarin are often used to add fragrance to perfumes, creams, and deodorants. These scents are also found in candles and incense. “Consuming foods containing cinnamon can cause allergic rhinitis, watery eyes and headaches.”

After confirming that “an allergic reaction to cinnamon directly interacts with skin allergies and causes a skin disorder called contact dermatitis, erythema multiforme,” he added, “In addition, it can cause toxic and immune-mediated reactions.” .

Mustard and black pepper, according to the Lithuanian expert, there are other strong allergies that cause anaphylaxis – severe allergic reaction -, Quincke's edema – painless swelling under the skin -, hives, contact urticaria and allergic contact dermatitis. “Thus, the piperine in black pepper increases the toxicity of blood plasma when taking drugs, so caution should be exercised in patients with blood clotting problems,” he highlighted.

from Spanish Society of Allergology and Clinical Immunology (Seaic) added, “Foods with high allergen content Processed foodsCertain ingredients such as soy protein, casein, wheat gluten, yeast extracts or corn or oat derivatives are added with the intention of improving their appearance, taste, texture or colour.

“Kids are usually introduced Allergies to eggs, milk, fruits and nuts“, even without consuming them, they warned, “it is relatively common for patients to experience allergic reactions from inhaling cooking vapors or smoke from the grill where seafood is prepared.

Muñoz Pereira offered a series of recommendations to prevent food allergies:

– In patients with already known food allergies, these holidays are best Not trying new foods or products No matter how attractive they are.

– Don't eat things out of the house that you don't know you can't tolerate.

– Always carry Emergency medicine The doctor mentioned.

– Be aware of symptoms that may appear within the first minutes of eating food and go to the emergency room as soon as possible to suspect that you are experiencing an allergic reaction.

Once you start noticing symptoms of food poisoning, such as Itchy mouth and/or throatitching fur with or without hives, hivesAbdominal pain, dizziness, Respiratory disorder And loss of consciousness, or even anaphylaxis, requires an immediate trip to the emergency room.

“If we already know that we are allergic to certain foods, we will have rescue medicine sent by the specialist, and we will take it when we go to the emergency center and get properly evaluated,” Munoz Pereira said.

Cheek recalls that symptoms of an allergic reaction can appear anywhere from minutes to hours after consuming a food, and the severity can vary depending on the amount of allergen ingested, the person's sensitivity and external factors such as asthma. , exercise or taking painkillers or alcohol.

Allergy has been shown to be hereditary and the genes responsible for it have already been identified. However, environmental influence on the development of allergic reactions is increasingly debated. So-called pseudoallergies can affect even people with no history of this type of condition.