Imagine what it would be like if eating a peanut butter sandwhich or some shrimp, or drinking a tall glass of milk left you vomiting, gasping for breath, and furiously scratching a fresh crop of hives. For some people with food allergies, that's life. Unfortunately, I belong to this group of people who has been suffering from allergies all my life. This has prompted me to search for the right cure for my constant allergies.

A FOOD ALLERGY, or HYPERSENSITIVITY, is an abnormal response to a food triggered by the immune system. While many people often have gas, bloating or another unpleasant reaction to something they eat, this is NOT an allergic response. Such a reaction is thought to not involve the immune system and is called "FOOD INTOLERANCE." It was 3 years ago when I discovered all the food that I'm not allowed to eat. Despite my discomfort of allergies, I was very surprised when my allerologist told me my case is considered a mild allergy.

Its critical for people who have food allergies to identify them and to avoid foods that cause allergic reactions. Some foods can cause severe illness and in some cases, a life-threatening allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) that can constrict airways in the lungs, severely lower blood pressure, and cause suffocation by the swelling of the tongue or throat.

The eight most common food allergens are MILK, EGGS, FISH, WHEAT, TREE NUTS, PEANUTS, SOYBEAN and CRUSTACEANS (such as shrimp and crabs). The proteins in these eight major foods are the main reason of food allergies.

Food normally doesn't provoke a response from the human immune system, the body's defense against microbes and other threats to health. In food allergies, two parts of the immune response are involved.

One is the production of an antibody called IMMUNOGLOBIN E (IgE) that circulates in the blood. The other part is a type of cell called a MAST CELL. Mast cells occur in all body tissues but especially in areas that are typical sites of allergic reactions, including the nose, throat, lungs, skin and gastrointestinal tract.

People, like me, usually inherit the ability to form IgE against food. Those more likely to develop food allergies come from families in which allergies such as hay fever, asthma, or eczema are common.

The timing and location of an allergic reaction to food is affected by digestion. For example, an allergic person may first experience a severe itching of the tongue or "tingling lips." Vomiting, cramps or diarrhea may follow. Later, as allergens enter the bloodstream and travel throughout the body, they can cause a drop in blood pressure, hives or eczema, or asthma when they reach the lungs. The onset of these symptoms may vary from a few minutes to an hour or two after the food is eaten.

Food allergy patterns in adults differ somewhat from those in children. The most common foods to cause allergies in adults are shrimp, lobster, crab, and other shellfish; peanuts (one of the chief foods responsible for severe anaphylaxis); walnuts and other tree nuts; fish and eggs.

In children, eggs, milk, peanuts, soy and wheat are the main culprits. Children typically outgrow their allergies to milk, egg, soy and wheat. While allergies to peanuts, tree nuts, fish and shrimp are not outgrown.

Adults usually do not lose their allergies.

Currently, the only way to treat food allergies is to avoid the foods that trigger reactions. Even the most diligent label-readers and ingredient-checkers likely will inadvertendly exposed to proteins that elicit an allergic response at some point. I've been regularly taking BURDOCK ROOT, a supplement that helps detoxify and cleanse my blood. It helps to relieve my allergies for 3 years now.

In the cases of food allergies severe enough to cause anaphylactic reactions, one should wear medical alert bracelets or necklaces and carry a syringe of adrenaline (epinephrine) obtained by prescription from the doctor. Anaphylactic allergic reactions can be fatal even when they begin with mild symptoms such as a tingling in the mouth and throat or gastrointestinal discomfort. Antihistamines and bronchodilators can be used to treat less severe symptoms.