Causes of swollen face due to eating meat

If your face gets swollen every time you eat meat, then it might be that you are allergic to it and the swelling is a as result of food allergy. Generally people are allergic to nuts, milk, and shellfish, but people can be allergic to various types of food. To find out if you are allergic to meat, speak with your physician and discuss the symptoms that crop up after you eat meat.

What is food allergy? When the immune system reacts to certain foods, it causes allergic reactions and can inflame the tissues of the body. In some cases, food allergies can be life threatening. But remember that food allergy and food intolerance are two completely different things. If you are intolerant to some food, then you might suffer from problems of the digestive system, like diarrhea and vomiting, which are not life threatening.

Who are at a risk? Several people are allergic to certain food products. Food allergy can be a genetic condition too - if someone in your family suffers from food allergy, then chances are that you might have food allergies too. You may even be at a higher risk of getting food allergies if any of your family members suffer from hay fever, asthma and eczema.

If you feel that you are allergic to some food products, we suggest that you speak with your doctor and get diagnosed.

Why does food allergy happen? When a person has food allergy, the immune system of the body overreacts to the foreign proteins. Then it releases antibodies that then attack the tissues of the body. This allergy-causing foreign protein is termed as allergen. When you have food allergy, it is known as type 1 allergy. The antibodies produced by the immune system are known as Ig-E antibodies. Once these anti-bodies are produced, you might get rashes and swelling -symptoms of the food allergy.

Allergy-causing food products:

Some of the foods that generally can cause allergy in people are:

• Fruits and vegetables
• Peanuts
• Eggs
• Wheat
• Soya beans
• Fish
• Milk
• Shellfish

Symptoms of food allergy:

You can begin getting symptoms, either immediately or after or after some time of consuming the food. The symptoms include -

• Swollen throat, face and lips
• asthma
• Hay fever
• Irritability and fatigue
• headache
• Cramps and vomiting
• Itchy sensation in lips and mouth

Diagnosis: Your doctor will do blood tests and skin tests.

Treatment:Your doctor might ask you to avoid eating meat, and give you anti-allergy medicines to treat the allergy problem.

answered by G M

You are allergic to meat and this is due to an allergen present in a particular food. Food allergy results in the synthesis of immunoglobulin E (IgE). The food allergen is mistaken to an invading organism, thereby causing sensitive reactions, in the form of rashes, redness and inflammation. Processed meat products contain other ingredients and sensitivity to the latter also creates problems. Allergic dermatitis is the most common outcome of meat allergy. Common symptoms of food allergy are running nose, bloating sensation, coughing, reddening of the skin and eyes, skin rashes, wheezing and itching throat. Treatment for food intolerance is to follow an elimination diet. This enables prevention of further complications.

Antihistamines are recommended, under the guidance of a physician. Food allergy is determined by the frequency of consumption of a particular food. Food allergies are commonly seen in children less than three years of age and growth helps them overcome the same, in course of time. Some develop allergy as adults and are never able to outgrow it. Severe allergies, accompanied by rashes, inflammation, hypotension and so on calls for immediate guidance from a physician, as an anaphylactic shock is life threatening.

For more information, visit,
http://www.home-remedies-for-you.com/askquestion/731/health-advice-on-protein-allergy-i-have-developed-.html

answered by Dr C