Egg Allergy: Causes and Prevention, Egg allergy is one of the most difficult allergies. The thing is that with a true egg allergy, you will have to eliminate a lot of products from your diet, you will have to ask whether eggs were used in the preparation of certain dishes in a restaurant or somewhere else. But you can live in harmony with an egg allergy!
Egg Allergy: How Does It Occur?
Egg allergy is a fairly common occurrence. The fact is that chicken eggs contain a large number of nutrients: vitamins B-12 and E, proteins, iron, folic acid, calcium, and others. And purely theoretically, an allergy can occur to each of these substances. Egg allergy is divided into 2 subtypes: allergy to chicken protein and allergy to chicken yolk. The latter is a fairly weak allergen, almost 50 times weaker than protein. The yolk contains vitellin, which is the most allergenic, and it is even destroyed when boiled. In its main mass, egg allergy concerns protein or albumin.
An allergy to chicken protein manifests itself immediately – through skin allergies (itching, rash, eczema, Quincke’s edema), breathing problems (bronchial asthma, nasal congestion), and problems with the gastrointestinal tract (nausea, vomiting, diarrhea).
Products that are contraindicated for allergy sufferers
Unfortunately, egg allergies, like many others, cannot be cured. You can only alleviate the allergy by eliminating them and all products that contain them from your diet.
Candidates for elimination: mayonnaise, tartar sauce, baking mixes, ice cream, breakfast cereals, waffles, soufflés, pasta, spaghetti, macaroni, flour, and even sausages, meatloaf, and hot dogs, as they can also be made with eggs.
It is worth paying attention to the label and knowing what ingredients eggs contain: albumin, lysozyme, coagulant, thickener, emulsifier, vitellin, globulin, and others.
A special feature of egg allergy is that it sometimes leads to an allergy to chicken meat and eggs from other birds. This phenomenon is called cross-allergy.
Interesting fact. People with egg allergies should not be vaccinated against flu, typhus, or tick-borne encephalitis. The fact is that the vaccines are grown on chicken embryos, so they can be dangerous for people with egg allergies.
Important! Any treatment actions should be taken only after consultation with a doctor!
What can you eat?
What do you do after eliminating eggs from your diet? How and what to replace them with?
- Egg whites can be replaced with plant or animal protein, such as meat or legumes.
- The baking mix can be replaced with soy flour, or corn starch mixed with water. There are several types of ready-made mixes for baking cakes without using eggs.
- Quail eggs are a great alternative. They are hypoallergenic and more nutritious than chicken eggs.
- Various types of cookies can be a popular alternative to cakes, made without the use of milk and eggs.
- Berries and fruits are good alternative desserts. Most types of chocolate sauces and jellies are egg-free.
Egg allergy is common. Allergy sufferers need to be careful with the products they consume, as even a small amount of eggs in a product can cause itching at a mild stage, and indigestion at a more severe stage. The main thing is to remember all the products that may contain eggs and, if you consume them, only in small quantities. Here everything depends on the degree of allergy and the manifestation of symptoms.
What to do if you are diagnosed with an egg allergy
If an allergy is diagnosed, it is necessary to follow all the doctor’s recommendations. Some patients will be allowed to eat thermally processed eggs, while others will be prohibited from eating them in any form, especially if there is anaphylaxis.
It is important to consider that there are products and medicines with hidden allergens. For example, eggs can be found in cookies, bread, baking mixes, marshmallows, sauces, pasta, marmalade, industrial cutlets, sausages, and other foods. It is important to read the ingredients and pay attention to the warning from manufacturers “May contain traces of eggs.”
Medicines should be given to a child only as prescribed by a doctor. Be sure to warn the doctor about allergies.
Also, traces of egg white allergen may be contained in vaccines against influenza , measles, rubella, mumps, and tick-borne encephalitis. After all, viruses for vaccinations are grown using chicken or quail eggs. However this does not mean that the patient will necessarily have an allergic reaction.
Based on this, children with egg allergy can be vaccinated against influenza and measles, rubella, mumps (MMR), and tick-borne encephalitis. This is the official position of the European Society of Allergists and Immunologists.
The only contraindication may be acute severe reactions to previous vaccinations. If a child has anaphylaxis to an egg, it is important to discuss vaccination with a doctor and know how much allergen is contained in the vaccine you plan to vaccinate with.
Prevention
Early introduction of allergenic foods into the diet can help prevent allergies. For example, starting at 6 months, it is acceptable to include eggs in the child’s menu. At first, you can give a few very small pieces mixed with the main complementary food. Then gradually increase the amount.
It happens that parents follow the recommendations, but allergies in children still appear. This is due to genetic predisposition. Therefore, if after introducing eggs into the diet you notice any negative reactions in the child’s body, contact an allergist as soon as possible.
Approximately 80-85% of children outgrow their egg white allergy and can continue to eat foods containing it. The main thing is to be monitored by an allergist and follow all recommendations.
How does allergy manifest itself?
Usually, the first manifestations appear in infancy, with the beginning of the introduction of complementary foods. In rarer cases, the pathology is detected during the period of breastfeeding.
Symptoms can range from mild to severe. For example:
- skin rashes;
- urticaria ;
- edema ;
- vomit;
- pride;
- anaphylaxis;
- wheezing;
- proctocolitis (blood in the stool).
If an allergy to eggs manifests itself in the form of atopic dermatitis (rashes, itching), then the symptoms may not appear immediately, but by the end of the first day after consuming the allergen.
