Food allergy occurs when a person immune system reacts to a particular protein within the food. This can lead to symptoms such as intestinal gas, abdominal pain or diarrhoea. In some cases, people can experience life-threatening reaction such as Anaphylaxis.
Paediatric Gut Investigation Clinic is pleased to offer paediatric food allergy testing at our clinics in West Sussex, Surrey, and Wimbledon, London. This makes us ideally placed to treat young people in Horley, Reigate, Dorking, Southwest London, Crawley, Croydon, Brighton and all nearby areas.
Below are the most common foods that cause paediatric food allergies in children:
- Eggs
- Peanuts
- Milk
- Wheat
- Soy
- Shellfish
- Tree nut
Majority of allergic reactions occur in early childhood and some children will grow out of the allergy as they get older.
There are two categories of food allergies which are IgE mediated and Non -IgE mediated. In an IgE-mediated allergy, the child will experience symptoms within minutes or up to two hours after eating a particular food. Whereas, in a Non-IgE mediated allergy the child will experience symptoms after two hours or up to a few days after eating anything that particular food.
Parents often get confused between a food allergy and food intolerance. Food intolerance is simply when the body cannot properly digest the food and irritates the digestive system causing various symptoms such as nausea, bloating, loose stools, tiredness e.t.c. Whereas, in the case of an allergy the body’s immune system attacks the food causing histamine to be released in the body. The reactions can lead to various symptoms such as hives, itching, eczema, throat tightness, abdominal pain, vomiting e.t.c.
Cow’s milk allergy is one of the most common food allergies in babies and young children in the United Kingdom, but it is still uncommon.
Cow’s milk allergy (also known as cow’s milk protein allergy or CMPA) is an abnormal immune system response in which proteins in food are recognised as a potential threat. The immune system may become ‘sensitised’ as a result of this. When this occurs, there is a chance that when cow’s milk is consumed, the immune system will remember this protein and will react to it by producing allergic symptoms.
If you are concerned that your child may have the condition, please get in touch with Paediatric Gut Investigation Clinic today.
Paediatric food allergy testing is available at our clinics in West Sussex, Horley and Reigate, Surrey, Wimbledon, London, Spire Gatwick, and Kent making us easily accessible to see children from all nearby areas, including Chichester, Banstead, Dorking, Epsom, Guildford, Redhill, Southampton, Portsmouth, Royal Tunbridge Wells, Maidstone, North and South Kensington, Hammersmith, Twickenham, Camden Town, Wandsworth, and all nearby towns and villages.