Did you know that pet food ingredients might include your child's allergens?
Shrimp in fish food flakes, eggs in the cat's kibble, casein in bone treats, and peanut butter inside the family dog's latex rubber chew toy? Yes! Allergens are commonly found in pet food and treats.
Children can come into contact with a pet's food either from contact with the pet, from a pet licking a child, or from handling the food itself.
Be sure to read ingredient labels on pet food, treats and chew toys to make sure they are safe in case your child comes in contact with them. Also look for voluntary warnings on pet food packaging: some products will contain advisory statements indicating that the product is made on equipment or in facilities that produce other products containing peanuts or tree nuts.
Pets can have food allergies, too, so it is possible to find "hypoallergenic" products available for pets that may also be free of your child's allergens as well.
See more at:http://www.kidswithfoodallergies.org
Oral Allergy Syndrome (Allergy and Asthma Network)
Do you ever get an itchy mouth when eating watermelon or cantaloupe? What about that luscious peach that left your gums raw and irritated?
Could be you are one of millions whose pollen allergy also sets them up to react to certain foods.
It’s called oral allergy syndrome (OAS) and what’s behind it are protein similarities among some pollen-producing trees, grasses and weeds and related fruits and vegetables. For instance, a person who gets a runny nose or drippy eyes when exposed to ragweed pollen in the air might develop an itchy, tingling mouth or lips when eating banana, melon or cucumber.
As many as one out of every three people with seasonal allergies may experience oral allergy syndrome. The exact number is unclear because the condition often goes undiagnosed. Symptoms can be mild, making it less likely that people will see a doctor for diagnosis. On the other hand, parents might not associate a child’s dislike of a vegetable with an allergic reaction.
Common Food Triggers
Oral Allergy Syndrome is particularly common among people allergic to ragweed – some 36 million people in the U.S. – but it also affects people with other allergies. Researchers have identified specific foods that relate to birch, grasses and ragweed.
Birch pollen: almond, apple, carrot, celery, cherry, hazelnut, kiwi, peach, pear, plum, potato, pumpkin seed
Grass pollen: kiwi, melon, peach, tomato
Ragweed pollen: banana, chamomile, cucumber, Echinacea, melon (watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew), sunflower seed, zucchini
Oral Allergy Symptoms
Symptoms of OAS include itchiness, irritation, and/or mild swelling or hives in or around the mouth.
Symptoms can also seem quite random. For instance, many people are only bothered during pollen season; the rest of the year they can eat pollen-related foods with no problem. So if you’re allergic to ragweed, a melon in February (when ragweed is dormant) may not bother you at all, while one in September (when ragweed pollen counts are high) could set off symptoms with the first bite.
Some people with OAS will react to fresh foods but not cooked or canned varieties. If you have grass allergy, for instance, you may be able to eat tomato sauce on pizza but develop itchy mouth from fresh tomato in a salad. Others may find they can eat certain varieties of a fruit (Macintosh apples versus Granny Smith, for instance) or fruits without their skins.
Oral Allergy Diagnosis and Treatment
While most oral allergy symptoms will go away when you stop eating the food, it’s a good idea to see an allergist for an individual consultation any time you experience allergy symptoms related to food. Food-related symptoms can sometimes alert you to a more dangerous allergy, such as latex. A board-certified allergist can give you an accurate diagnosis, advise you which foods to avoid and recommend treatments to relieve symptoms.
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