Food allergy is an abnormal defense reaction of the body following the ingestion of food.
To find out all about allergies, see our sheet below.
Food allergy: what evolution?
- Allergies that tend to lessen or disappear over time: allergies to cow’s milk, eggs and soy;
- allergies that tend to last a lifetime: peanut, tree nut, fish, shellfish, and sesame allergies.
Anaphylactic reaction and shock
It is estimated that 1% to 2% of the Canadian population is at risk of an anaphylactic reaction6, a severe and sudden allergic reaction. About 1 in 3 times, an anaphylactic reaction is caused by a food allergy.
If not treated quickly, the anaphylactic reaction can progress to anaphylactic shock, i.e. drop in blood pressure, loss of consciousness and possibly death, within minutes (see symptoms below). below).
The word anaphylaxis comes from the Greek ana = opposite and phulaxis = protection, to mean that this body’s response goes against what you want.
Peanut, tree nut, fish, and shellfish allergies are most commonly implicated in anaphylactic reactions.
Vapors and odors: can they cause an anaphylactic reaction?
As a general rule, as long as there is no ingestion of the allergenic food, it is very unlikely that there will be a serious allergic reaction.
On the other hand, a person allergic to fish can present slight respiratory symptoms after having inhaled the vapors of cooking a fish, for example.
When fish are heated, their proteins become very volatile. This is why in case of fish allergy, it is not recommended to bake fish fillets and other foods at the same time, in order to avoid any contamination.
Inhaling food particles may cause an allergic reaction, but mild.
That said, most of the time, smelling the smell of a food to which one is allergic in a kitchen simply creates a reaction of disdain, without an actual allergic reaction.
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