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Spring 2006
Diet Changes and Monitoring Help Control Food Allergies
The onset of a food allergy can be sudden, with symptoms ranging from an
upset stomach or rash to painful gastrointestinal upset, labored breathing and,
in some cases, anaphylactic shock or death. "While any food can be the source of
an allergic reaction, 90 percent of all food allergies are caused by peanuts,
eggs, milk, shellfish, wheat, tree nuts, soy and fish," notes Maria
Garcia-Lloret, M.D., codirector of UCLA's Food Allergy Clinic.
A food allergy develops when the body's immune system reacts
to an antigen, or foreign substance, in a particular food. The body produces a
protein that interacts with the antigen to release histamine, which causes
adverse reactions in the digestive or respiratory systems, or on the skin,
explains co-director Marc Riedl, M.D. In most cases, an allergist can diagnose
food allergies using simple skin or blood tests. The main treatment for a food
allergy is strict avoidance of the allergycausing food to prevent an allergic
reaction. For people with severe allergies, a doctor may recommend carrying
epinephrine (a small dose of adrenaline) or antihistamines at all times in case
of an accidental exposure to a food allergen.
At the UCLA Food Allergy Clinic, physicians, along with a nurse and nutritionist, provide testing and long-term monitoring to help children and adults understand the condition and to help implement lifelong dietary changes. Patients learn to ask questions when eating out, to read food labels carefully, and to learn "code" words for certain ingredients, which may contain harmful derivatives of the food. Retesting may be advised, since some patients may be avoiding certain foods unneccessarily; others, especially children, may have outgrown their allergies.
A food allergy develops when the body's immune system reacts
to an antigen, or foreign substance, in a particular food. The body produces a
protein that interacts with the antigen to release histamine, which causes
adverse reactions in the digestive or respiratory systems, or on the skin,
explains co-director Marc Riedl, M.D. In most cases, an allergist can diagnose
food allergies using simple skin or blood tests. The main treatment for a food
allergy is strict avoidance of the allergycausing food to prevent an allergic
reaction. For people with severe allergies, a doctor may recommend carrying
epinephrine (a small dose of adrenaline) or antihistamines at all times in case
of an accidental exposure to a food allergen. At the UCLA Food Allergy Clinic, physicians, along with a nurse and nutritionist, provide testing and long-term monitoring to help children and adults understand the condition and to help implement lifelong dietary changes. Patients learn to ask questions when eating out, to read food labels carefully, and to learn "code" words for certain ingredients, which may contain harmful derivatives of the food. Retesting may be advised, since some patients may be avoiding certain foods unneccessarily; others, especially children, may have outgrown their allergies.
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