Milk Allergy Explained
Cow's milk is the most usual allergy-causing foods in kids, and it's the primary reason of allergic responses in very young infants.
Milk allergy touches in the region of 2 percent to 3 percent of newborn worldwide, and its symptoms and signs may be significant enough to cause concern not solely for an allergic kid, but also for the child's family. But the pleasant news is that the majority of kids grow out of the milk allergy by the age 2 or 3.
Allergic reactions frequently show a few minutes to a few hours after you consume milk " but sometimes it can be days before symptoms and sign show. Signs and symptoms range from soft to severe and may consist of wheezing, vomiting, hives and digestive problems. Very rarely, milk allergy can cause anaphylaxis - a severe, life-threatening reaction.
Milk Allergy Symptoms
Three types of milk linked allergy symptoms have been acknowledged:
1. Symptoms start quickly following eating/drinking cow's milk. Reactions mainly affect the skin, triggering hives and/or eczema.
2. Symptoms start several hours after ingesting cow's milk. Symptoms of this type are mainly diarrhea and vomiting.
3. Symptoms start more than twenty hours after ingesting. The central symptom for this type is diarrhea.
Symptoms of milk allergy can affect the skin, causing rashes or hives; the digestive tract, causing bloating and diarrhea, and the respiratory system, causing runny nose and asthma.
Here is a more full list of symptoms:
* vomiting
* hyperactive behavior
* diarrhea
* asthma
* hives
* runny nose
* rashes
* stuffy nose
* ear infections
* bloating
* watery eyes
* eczema
* allergic shiners (black around the eyes)
* recurrent bronchitis
* failure to thrive
The above mentioned symptoms are not limited to people with milk allergy. When one become familiar with food allergy symptoms, you will notice that quite a few foods share a variety of general symptoms, such as: bloating, rash, and runny nose.
What is the Difference of Milk allergy and Milk Intolerance?
It is central to distinguish a real milk allergy from milk protein intolerance or lactose intolerance. Unlike a milk allergy, intolerance doesn't implicate the immune system. Milk intolerance triggers different symptoms and need separate care than does a true milk allergy. Ordinary signs and symptoms of milk protein intolerance or lactose intolerance include digestive problems, such as bloating, gas or diarrhea, after consuming milk.
Milk Allergy Prevention and Cure
The single way to prevent an allergic reaction is to avoid milk and milk proteins altogether. This can be hard, as milk is a frequent food ingredient. Despite your best efforts, you or your child may still come into contact with milk.
Medications, such as antihistamines, may reduce signs and symptoms of a milk allergy. These drugs can be taken after exposure to milk to control an allergic reaction and help relieve discomfort. If you or your child has a life-threatening allergic reaction (anaphylaxis), you may need an emergency injection of epinephrine (adrenaline) and a trip to the emergency room.
If you're at risk of having a severe reaction, you or your child may need to carry injectable epinephrine (such as an EpiPen) at all times.