Egg allergy is one of the most common
food allergies. It can affect adults also but most commonly affects children under the age of five years. It is caused due to consumption of eggs directly or egg containing food items such as mayonnaise, sandwich spreads, salad dressing, and ice cream. When a person suffers from
egg allergy then the body's immune system over reacts to the proteins present in egg.
Symptoms:
Like for all other allergens our immune system develops antibodies against the proteins present in egg which are called
immunoglobulin which trigger the release of certain chemicals that lead to the symptoms.
Symptoms can vary from person to person. They occur within few hours or minutes of taking eggs. The common symptoms include skin rashes, eczema, belly cramps, redness or swelling around the mouth, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, runny nose, itchy or watery eyes, can even lead to asthma with coughing and wheezing.
Apart from these a serious effect can be anaphylaxis which is dangerous as it blocks airways and causes breathing difficulties.
Treatment:
One with egg allergy needs to visit an allergy specialist who will first confirm whether the cause of suffering is
egg allergy. A skin test, blood test or food challenge can be used to confirm.
The most suitable treatment is to avoid taking eggs or egg containing items. One should read food labels clearly. One suffering from serious
allergy must carry epinephrine which is easy to use in case of emergency.
