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Healthline >Ask the Healthline
| Parents and providers
can now take advantage of this new online feature. Submit your
health-related questions to the HealthLine Nurse Consultant.
Your questions will be answered via phone or email. Selected
questions and answers may be posted on this site weekly. Be sure
to browse through this section before submitting a question.
There may already be an answer for you on the site! |
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| Topic: |
Allergies
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| Question: |
What is a food allergy? |
| Answer: |
A food allergy is an allergic reaction is an immune-system response. But instead of helping the body fight illness, which is how we usually think of the way the immune system functions, the reaction creates illness. When someone eats a food he's allergic to, his body recognizes it as an invader, and the blood cells are activated that release histamine and other chemicals, making the person feel sick.
This allergic reaction can include hives (skin), swollen lips and tongue (mucous membrane), asthma(lungs), vomiting and diarhea (gatrointestinal tract), or any combination of symtoms.
In most severe situations, a child will have a food-allergic reaction in several different parts of the body at the same time. If that\'s the case, or if your child\'s breathing is compromised, the reaction is called anaphylaxis, a potentially fatal condition. Call 911 immediately if your child experiences such a reaction. |
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