ARE YOU ALLERGY TO EGGS? ( EGG ALLERGY)

 

What Exactly is an Egg Allergy?

Eggs are definitely not bad for your health, but when you are allergic to them, your body thinks they are. If you are allergic to eggs, your body's immune system will overreact to the proteins in the egg. Eggs are made up of many proteins, but the four of them that cause the problems are ovomucoid, ovalbumin, ovotransferrin and lysozyme. These are found in egg white and to a lesser extent the egg yolk. Each time eggs or any food item consisting of egg enters your digestive system, your body will think that these proteins are harmful invaders, if you are allergic to eggs. Your immune system responds to this, by creating antibodies to that food. These antibodies that are designed to fight off the 'invader', trigger the release of certain chemicals into your body, one of which is histamine. So if you have an egg allergy and you consume food that contains eggs, the immune system unleashes an army of chemicals to protect your body. The release of these chemicals can affect the respiratory system, gastrointestinal tract, skin, and the cardiovascular system and lead to allergy symptoms.

Egg allergy is a type of food allergy. It is a hypersensitivity to dietary substances from the yolk or whites of eggs, causing an overreaction of the immune system which may lead to severe physical symptoms for millions of people around the world.[1]

Egg allergy appears mainly, but not exclusively, in children. In fact, it is the second most common food allergy in children.[2] (The most common is cows' milk allergy). It is usually treated with an exclusion diet and vigilant avoidance of foods that may be contaminated with egg. The most severe food allergy reaction is called anaphylaxis[3] and is an emergency situation requiring immediate attention and treatment with epinephrine. The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America estimates that most children outgrow egg allergy by the age of five, but some people remain allergic for a lifetime.

What Happens When a Person Has an Egg Allergy?

Eggs in themselves aren't bad, but when you're allergic to them, your body thinks they are. When a person is allergic to eggs, the body's immune system overreacts to proteins in the egg. Every time something made with eggs enters the digestive system of a person with an egg allergy, the body thinks that these proteins are harmful invaders.

The immune system responds by creating specific antibodies to that food, which are designed to fight off the "invader." These antibodies — called immunoglobulin E (IgE) — trigger the release of certain chemicals into the body, one of which is histamine (pronounced: hiss-tuh-meen).

So when a person with an egg allergy eats a food that contains eggs, the immune system unleashes an army of chemicals to protect the body. The release of these chemicals can affect the respiratory system, gastrointestinal tract, skin, and the cardiovascular system — causing allergy symptoms like wheezing, nausea, headache, stomachache, and itchy hives.

Most people who are allergic react to the proteins in egg whites, but some can't tolerate proteins in the yolk. Egg allergy usually first appears when kids are very young, and most kids outgrow it by the time they're 5 years old.

Symptoms of Egg Allergies:

Symptoms of egg allergy usually appear within minutes to two hours of eating eggs or food containing egg ingredients. Symptoms may include:

    * Skin reactions, such as hives or eczema
    * Allergic conjunctivitis (tchy, red, watery eyes)
    * Gastrointestinal reactions, such as nausea, abdominal pain, vomiting, or diarrhea
    * Airway symptoms, such as wheezing, coughing, or runny nose
    * Angioedema (swelling of lips, tongue, or face)

Egg allergies may cause a severe reaction called anaphylaxis. Anaphylaxis is a medical emergency that requires immediate medical care.

Reactions

Egg allergy is like most food allergy reactions: It usually happens within minutes to hours after eating eggs. Most reactions last less than a day and may affect any of three body systems:

• the skin — in the form of red, bumpy rashes (hives), eczema, or redness and swelling around the mouth
• the gastrointestinal tract — in the form of belly cramps, diarrhea, nausea, or vomiting
• the respiratory tract — symptoms can range from a runny nose, itchy, watery eyes, and sneezing to the triggering of asthma with coughing and wheezing

Most people with egg allergy have some of the reactions listed above, but a few people may have a very strong reaction called anaphylaxis (pronounced: ah-nuh-fuh-lak-sis). This severe allergic reaction causes swelling of the mouth, throat, and airways leading to the lungs, resulting in breathing difficulty. In addition, there is a dangerous drop in blood pressure, which can make someone dizzy or pass out, and may quickly lead to shock.

For people who are especially sensitive to eggs, even egg fumes or getting egg on the skin can cause an anaphylactic reaction, so eggs should be kept out of the house completely.

How Can Doctors Tell If a Person Has an Egg Allergy?

If your doctor suspects you might have an egg allergy, he or she will probably refer you to an allergist or allergy specialist for further testing. The allergy specialist will ask you questions — these may cover things like how often you have the reaction, the time it takes between eating a particular food and the start of the symptoms, and whether any family members have allergies or conditions like eczema and asthma.

The allergy specialist may perform a skin test on you. This test involves placing liquid extracts of egg protein on a person's forearm or back, pricking the skin a tiny bit, and waiting to see if a reddish, raised spot forms, indicating an allergic reaction.

You may need to stop taking anti-allergy medications (such as over-the-counter antihistamines) 2 to 3 days before the skin test because they can interfere with the results. Most cold medications as well as some antidepressants may also affect skin testing. Check with the allergist's office if you are unsure about what medications need to be stopped and for how long.

Some doctors may also take a blood sample and send it to a lab where it will be mixed with some of the suspected allergen and checked for IgE antibodies.

In some cases, however, positive results of skin and blood tests aren’t enough to prove that a person’s symptoms are definitely being caused by eggs. So doctors may use what’s called a food challenge to help diagnose the allergy.

With a food challenge, the person is told to not eat eggs or anything made with egg proteins for a certain period of time — usually a few weeks. After that, the person will eat foods that contain eggs only under close supervision from a doctor. If symptoms come back after eating egg products, it's a pretty sure bet the person has an egg allergy.

Avoidance    

• 
       The most successful treatment of egg allergies is to avoid any contact with eggs. Because eggs are included in many products that do not specifically list eggs in the ingredients, it is important to learn to read food nutrition labels and recognize egg products. Some egg-containing ingredients include globulin, livetin, albumin, ovovitellin and phosvitin. Foods toppings such as caesar salad dressing and tartar sauce also contain eggs. Even beverages, such as wines, occasionally contain eggs. You may also want to work with a dietitian or nutritionist to create menu plans and discuss eating options.
  

How to Live with an Egg Allergy

Instructions

             * 1

            Let all of your friends and family know your allergy. Explain to them that foods from the bakery are generally a no-no and so are many breaded and fried foods. Breads that are generally not made with eggs may have cross contamination from other recipes in the bakery.
          * 2

            Ice cream cakes are an excellent alternative to traditional birthday cakes. Be sure your ice cream shop doesn't use eggs in their ice cream. Generally they don't but some custard style ice creams do.
          * 3

            Become familiar with the different egg product ingredients and completely avoid them. These are some egg based ingredients: albumin, dried egg, egg whites, egg solids, egg white solids, globulin, livetin, lysozyme, mergingue, ovalbumin, ovoglobulin, ovomucin, ovomuciod, ovotransferrin, ovovitella, ovovitellin, powdered egg, silici albuminate, Simplesse, vitellin, whole egg.
          * 4

            Immunizations are generally safe but there are some that actually grown on eggs. Both the flu shot and the flu mist are contaminted by eggs. Be sure to always discuss your egg allergy with your doctor before recieving any vacinations. An epi pen should always be available if you should decide to have any vacinations that are contaminated by eggs. Some doctors will request that your allergist give you any risky shots.
          * 5

            Learn how to bake using egg Substitutes. Each star recipe represents one egg:

            *1 tsp. baking powder, 1 T. liquid, 1 T. vinegar

            *1 tsp. yeast dissolved in 1/4 cup warm water

            *1 1/2 T. water, 1 1/2 T. oil, 1 tsp. baking powder
          *

             6

            Always keep your emergency medicines on hand and explain to your friends and family how to use your epipen if needed.

1. • How Is It Treated?

     Treating egg allergy might seem simple — you just don't eat eggs. But so many foods are made with eggs and egg products that it can be really hard to know what's OK and not OK to eat. It's a good idea to work with a registered dietitian to develop an eating plan that provides all the nutrients you need while avoiding things you can't eat. Check out our section on Living With an Egg Allergy (below) for more tips.
     If you have a severe egg allergy — or any kind of serious allergy — your doctor may want you to carry a shot of epinephrine (pronounced: eh-puh-neh-frin) with you in case of an emergency. Epinephrine comes in an easy-to-carry container about the size of a large marker. It’s easy to use — your doctor will show you how.
     If you accidentally eat something with egg in it and start having serious allergic symptoms, like swelling inside your mouth, chest pain, or difficulty breathing, you can give yourself the shot right away to counteract the reaction while you're waiting for medical help. Always call for emergency help (911) when using epinephrine. You should make sure your school and even good friends' houses have injectable epinephrine on hand, too.
     Keeping epinephrine on hand at all times should be just part of your action plan for living with an egg allergy. It's also a good idea to carry an over-the-counter antihistamine as this can help alleviate allergy symptoms in some people. Antihistamines should be used in addition to the epinephrine and not as a replacement for the shot.
     If you've had to take an epinephrine shot because of an allergic reaction, then you should go immediately to a medical facility or hospital emergency room so they can give you additional treatment if you need it. Up to one third of anaphylactic reactions can have a second wave of symptoms several hours following the initial attack. Therefore, you might need to be observed in a clinic or hospital for 4 to 8 hours following the reaction.