mild food allergy

Mild food allergies are not "delicate gastrointestinal" or "eating bad things". They are an excessive immune response produced by the immune system to specific foods. Most of them will not be immediately life-threatening, but long-term neglect may progress to severe allergies or induce chronic inflammation. There is currently no absolute cure. Scientific avoidance of allergens + follow the doctor's advice is the most reliable treatment principle.

I had a colleague who loved mangoes two years ago. Every time she ate, the corners of her mouth turned red. She always thought it was the irritating reaction of the mango skin being rubbed, so she would eat it every time with a paper towel on it. Last spring, after staying up all night for a week on a project, eating mangoes caused edema all over her face, her throat became tight, and she couldn't breathe. She was rushed to the emergency room at 120. Only then did I realize that the redness at the corners of my mouth that had lasted for three or four years was a typical IgE-mediated mild mango allergy. I could suppress it when my immunity was stable before, but the collapse of my immunity after staying up late directly triggered a moderate allergic reaction. Now, let alone eating mangoes, I have to walk around the mango stalls in fruit shops.

Many people actually can't tell the difference between mild allergies and food irritation. The most typical one is pain at the corners of the mouth after eating pineapple. Most of the irritation is caused by bromelain decomposing the oral mucosa. Soaking it in salt water and then eating it will basically be fine. However, if it still itch after soaking in salt water and even has small blisters, and even the ears and eyes are itchy, then the allergy is basically gone. There are also people who always mistake minor allergies for bad stomach. For example, if you eat the same whole-wheat bread, you will get bloated every time, and you will be fine if you switch to other wheat products. Don’t always blame other people’s stores for being unclean. Most likely, you have a slight intolerance to a certain ingredient added to that bread.

As for whether minor allergies should be "suffered from a small amount of exposure to practice tolerance", there are currently two different clinical ideas. Most mainstream allergists will recommend strict avoidance: as long as it is an IgE-mediated allergy, no matter how mild the reaction is, repeated exposure will continue to stimulate the immune system, which is equivalent to "training" the immune cells every time. One day the immunity fluctuates, and a more serious reaction may break out. Trying to eat it in small doses at home is completely ridiculous. However, some gastroenterologists will put forward different opinions: the mild abdominal bloating, scattered rash, and inexplicable fatigue after eating that many people experience are actually non-IgE-mediated food intolerances. The essence may be related to intestinal flora disorder and intestinal barrier damage. This situation does not require lifelong taboos. After regulating intestinal function, many people will no longer react to previously intolerant foods.

There is a girl next to me who was previously diagnosed with a slight intolerance to eggs. Every time she ate boiled eggs, she felt bloated and nauseous. After three months of adjusting her flora with a nutritionist, she had no problem eating boiled eggs again. But if it is found that the serum specific IgE is positive, it is safer to just avoid the food and don't test it on your own body.

There are also many people who think that minor allergies should not be taken seriously, and they can just take a tablet of loratadine if they are itchy. I once met a young man who only got three small red rashes on his wrists every time he ate crabs. I took an anti-allergic pill before eating crabs. As a result, I went into anaphylactic shock during a seafood banquet last year at my work team. After I was rescued, the doctor said that long-term repeated exposure to allergens + anti-allergic pills masked the early symptoms, leading to a sudden escalation of the reaction.

Of course, there is no need to be overly anxious just because you have a mild allergy. I have seen many people with mild allergies to peaches and mangoes. They peeled the skin cleanly and wore disposable gloves to avoid contact with the fuzz on the peel. They had no reaction at all after eating it. If you are really hungry for something to eat, go to a doctor for a comprehensive evaluation first. If you can eat it, feel free to eat it. If you can't eat it, just try a similar substitute. After all, happiness is more important than safety when it comes to eating.