Can Allergies Cause Stomach Problems

Is It An Allergy Or An Intolerance

Because digestive/gastrointestinal symptoms are tied to what you eat, its important to figure out if your upset stomach is caused by an allergy or a digestive problem. For example, lactose intolerance and celiac disease can be confused with a food allergy because they all have such similar symptoms.4,5

A food allergy may also be accompanied by other non-digestive symptoms, such as:

• Itchy skin, rash, or hives
• An itching or tingling sensation in the mouth or throat
• Mild wheezing or coughing
• Swelling of the face
• Nasal congestion or a runny nose

You may feel that youre allergic to food because you had a bad reaction after eating, but you may not actually have an allergy. In fact, people self-report having food allergies six times more than they actually have them.6

A food allergy can also cause anaphlaxisa rare, but serious, life-threeatening allergic reaction.If you or someone around you is experiencing symptoms of anaphlaxis, includinng loss of consciousness, a drop in blood pressure and severe shortness of breath, call your local emergency numbere immediately.

Severity: How Much Of The Offending Food Can You Tolerate

With a food allergy, eating, touching, or even inhaling a microscopic amount of the offending food has the potential to cause a severe or even life-threatening reaction called anaphylaxis. An anaphylactic reaction occurs within minutes and is defined by difficulty breathing, swelling of the tongue, tightness in the throat, wheezing or coughing, persistent dizziness, or loss of consciousness.

With food intolerance, people can tolerate different amounts of the offending food. For example, you may be able to eat small amounts of the offending food without experiencing any symptoms, while a large amount will result in more severe food allergy symptoms. Its even possible to prevent the reaction with medication. For example, people with lactose intolerance may be able to safely drink milk by taking lactase enzyme pills to aid digestion.

Pollen Food Allergy Syndrome

People with pollen food allergy syndrome experience allergic reactions to certain fruits and vegetables

Each fall, as ragweed releases its pollen into the air, people with seasonal allergies start sniffling and wheezing. But the problems don’t always stop there.

“For some people who are allergic to ragweed, if they eat a banana, their mouth starts to itch or their throat can feel like its swelling,” says , an allergist at Rush.

The reason? These people have pollen food allergy syndrome, also known as oral allergy syndrome. This means they experience allergic reactions to certain fruits and vegetables that contain proteins similar to those in allergenic trees and weeds.

For example, people who have birch pollen allergies might react negatively to carrots, celery, apples and peaches, while those allergic to ragweed may need to avoid melons and tomatoes in addition to bananas.

People often consume these foods in combination with others, of course, and the reactions they trigger can vary widely and mimic the symptoms of other conditions. As a result, it’s not always easy to identify the condition and link the culprit foods with the symptoms they cause. But doing so, Tobin says, can lead to effective treatment.

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Symptoms: Is Your Allergy Stomach Pain Accompanied By Other Symptoms

Food allergies and intolerances manifest in a similar way, making it tricky to distinguish between the two. However, as a general rule:

True food allergies are more commonly associated with skin reactions, such as swelling, tingling, itching or hives. In fact, cutaneous reactions are seen in 80% of cases. Respiratory symptoms may involve nasal congestion and sinusitis. Gastrointestinal symptoms may include vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain. However, these dont usually occur alone.

If you tend to experience digestive food allergy symptoms that are often accompanied by lethargy, headaches, migraines, and mouth ulcers, its more likely youre suffering from food intolerance.

What Does Gut Testing Entail

Part of the process of determining if you have a sensitivity includes testing your gut for several different elements and biomarkers. Our gut testing is extremely comprehensive and involves four areas of examination with: 1) Organic Acid Test 2) Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth Breath Test 3) Stool Test and 4) Allergies Testing.

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Neti Pot Truly A Wonderful Invention

My symptoms would come and go but they often came, which was awful. They would be relieved unbeknownst to me because the mucus would eventually dry up and normally this would only happen when I was adamant about taking my sinus and allergy medication.

One thing that has truly been a GOD sent for my pain pain is the use of a

neti pot, which I use everyday ONLY with bottled water. I would love to thank the person whom invented it because it is absolutely wonderful!

Also, just simply try blowing your nose prior to using the neti pot. You may find that a lot of mucus will become expeled this way. If you still feel a bit congested, then definitely give the neti pot a try!

Types Of Stomach Problems From Anxiety

What’s interesting about anxiety stomach problems is that they may occur at different times for different people. Some people get stomach problems only during severe anxiety attacks. Others get these problems all throughout the day but know that they suffer from intense anxiety.

The following represent the most common types of “stomach problems” from anxiety. Remember, people often use the word stomach to also include bowels, colloquially.

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Onset: How Long Does It Take For Your Symptoms To Emerge

Food allergies are characterized by rapid onset, usually emerging in less than 30 minutes after consuming the food in children and within 2 hours in adults. Symptoms of a food stomach allergy tend to resolve within 48 hours. While the food allergy symptoms are typically immediately after ingestion, they are not as severe and sometimes can take a few hours to develop. In some cases, once symptoms are present, it may take hours and sometimes even days to disappear.

Stomach Pain Symptoms Solved

I suffered for about a year or so until a wonderful nurse informed that it was because of the mucus accumulation within my stomach.

I’ve always been an allergy sufferer but did not realize it could get that bad.

Also, it just wasn’t from seasonal allergies, it was also from the certain types of foods that I was eating…omg! An aha moment!

I was relieved to know that even though I was drinking tons of water, eating healthy, taking fiber pills, and all of the things that everyone tells you to do when you feel like you can’t go, that it was mucus that was causing me pain all along.

So ask yourself:

1) Do I have reoccurring sinus issues?

2) Do I get ear infections often accompanied by pink eye?

3) Does my stomach hurt after I eat a certain food?

If you have answered yes to these questions, it could be excess mucus in your body too.

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These Home Remedies Can Help You Feel Better

Nothing gets in the way more than a rumbling stomach, especially if you have food allergies. You can be fine one minute, and the next minute the stomach pains and gurgling are too much to bear. Sometimes you realize it was something you ate, while other times you are left perplexed trying to figure out what is going on.

Regardless, for those with a sensitive stomach from food allergies, these can be familiar feelings, and even knowing the cause probably won’t help you feel better faster.

When you are faced with a stomach ache, it can leave you running for a bathroom, keep you curled up on the couch, or debilitated in bed. For many, it can impact daily living, and lead to missed work or school.

What Can I Do To Heal My Gut After Mold Exposure

Healing your gut is an important step in eliminating mycotoxins from your body to reverse the root cause of your chronic condition. You can work to heal your gut by:

Before you begin a detox and healing protocol, however, its critical you address the source of your exposure to toxic mold. You may even have to move out of your home or work from a different location for a time if mold caused by water damage needs to be remediated. This is called avoidance. Some people can overcome mold-induced illness by practicing extreme avoidance alone.

Avoiding Mold In Your Diet to Heal Your Gut

Avoiding mold in your diet as well as your environment will help eliminate continued exposure to mycotoxins. The best approach is an anti-inflammatory, low-mold diet, reducing the number of inflammatory agents and mycotoxins entering your gut. While there is a science to adopting a low-mold diet, general guidelines include avoidance of all foods that worsen your symptoms.

If you havent made a correlation between what you eat and an increase in your stomach problems, start by eliminating these inflammatory and mold-prone foods from your diet:

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Food Allergies Versus Food Intolerance

Characteristics of food intolerance:

• Eating the offending food triggers digestive problems instead of an immune system response. Symptoms tend to come on more gradually and may not appear unless the food is eaten regularly or in large amounts.
• Symptoms are primarily gastrointestinal and include nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, bloating, diarrhea and heartburn. Some people with food intolerance also develop symptoms such as headaches and fatigue.
• Food intolerance is not life-threatening.

Stomach Pain Due To Allergy Season

Ugh!

Ive found that my stomach pain along with my nasal congestion and post-nasal drip comes based on the weather.

I dont always experience the typical allergic symptoms as described earlier such as sneezing, etc.

Thats why when I had stomach pain, I never made a correlation with having a seasonal allergy.

In the winter, I have so much relief!! Hardly no nasal congestion due to the enviroment , only if I eat something that Im allergic to, like almonds.

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Whats The Link Between Allergies And Digestion

If you suffer from the likes of a pollen or animal allergy youll probably be aware that the problem is caused by the release of histamine which stimulates a number of unwanted symptoms including a blocked nose, watery eyes and a sore throat. Do you know however, exactly why your body reacts in this way? There are a number of factors that can influence the onset of allergies, including digestive issues, a topic Im going to focus on in todays blog.

Louise Baillie

How Can You Tell The Difference Between An Allergy And Intolerance To Food

Food allergies can be triggered by even a small amount of the food and occur every time the food is consumed. People with food allergies are generally advised to avoid the offending foods completely. On the other hand, food intolerances often are dose related people with food intolerance may not have symptoms unless they eat a large portion of the food or eat the food frequently. For example, a person with lactose intolerance may be able to drink milk in coffee or a single glass of milk, but becomes sick if he or she drinks several glasses of milk. Food allergies and intolerances also are different from food poisoning, which generally results from spoiled or tainted food and affects more than one person eating the food. Your health care provider can help determine if you have an allergy or intolerance, and establish a plan to help control symptoms.

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How Common Are Food Allergies And Intolerances

Food allergies affect about 1 percent of adults and 7 percent of children, although some children outgrow their allergies. Food intolerances are much more common. In fact, nearly everyone at one time has had an unpleasant reaction to something they ate. Some people have specific food intolerances. Lactose intolerance, the most common specific food intolerance, affects about 10 percent of Americans.

Gluten Sensitivity And Coeliac Disease

Issues digesting gluten are triggered by exposure to many grains, such as wheat, barley, and couscous. Coeliac disease is a severe form of intolerance which requires the affected person to cut out all foods containing gluten, which includes very common foods such as bread, cereal, and pasta. It is different to non-celiac gluten sensitivity, a milder health problem that may affect 5% of people.

Celiac disease sufferers experience autoimmune inflammation in the small intestine that is triggered by gluten, wherein the immune system attacks the body itself, which if left untreated can lead to conditions that affect other systems of the body, such as infertility, osteoporosis , and chronic fatigue.

Interestingly, 30% of the Caucasian and Western European population carries a gene that predisposes towards celiac disease, but only a small percentage of those with the genes develop celiac disease. The Atlas DNA Test searches for genetic predispositions towards lactose, alcohol, and gluten intolerance.

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Can Allergies Cause Digestive Problems

Research shows that inflammation, a common allergy symptom, can damage villi which are small structures in the gut wall that help to absorb digested food.1 This can contribute to the likes of diarrhoea, constipation and nausea.

Thats not all though the same research also showed that inflammation impaired the effectiveness of the epithelial barrier which helps to protect the body from physical and chemical damage. So, from this we can see there is a close link between allergies and digestion not only do digestive problems lead to allergies, they can also be caused by allergies too.

Food Allergy Immune System

Food allergies can cause severe or even life-threatening allergic reactions, known as anaphylaxis. Most food allergies are IgE-mediated. This means if you have a peanut allergy, your immune system identifies the proteins in peanuts as foreign invaders or allergens. The immune system then produces antibodies called Immunoglobulin E , in an attempt to defend the body. These antibodies interact with cells triggering the release of pro-inflammatory chemicals, called histamines, which cause an allergic reaction.

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Binding Mycotoxins To Heal Your Gut

The use of binders to remove mycotoxins from the gut is necessary to reverse chronic stomach problems caused by ingestion of toxic mold. Through the process of enterohepatic circulation, mycotoxins are carried from the liver and gallbladder by bile into the small intestine where they are reabsorbed and transported back to the liver, creating a cycle of exposure that causes chronic inflammation and accompanying symptoms.

Binders are non-absorbable agents that attach or bind to mycotoxins and carry them out of the body. Since binders cannot be reabsorbed and recycled through the GI system, they move captured mycotoxins into the large intestine to be eliminated through the stool. Popular detox binders include:

• Activated Bamboo or Coconut Charcoal
• Bentonite and Zeolite Clays
• Monomethylsilanetriol Silica
• Saccharomyces boulardii

Although more research is required, binders likely do not interfere with nutrient absorption. To be safe and maximize effectiveness of meals and medications, use binders one hour before or two hours after you eat or take supplements.

Natural Supplements That Have Helped Me

With my seasonal allergy being off the charts, at times I need to take antihistamines such as Claritin twice a day as directed by my physician.

This helps with my

• and watery, itchy eyes
• and well as calms my stomach

Over the years, I have tried many supplements to determine which are best for my body and you may have to do the same. Unfortunately, there is no cookie cutter option out there.

The one that I love and help with inflammation is

• Omega 3 Fish oils

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Gut Health And Allergies Are Connected

An allergy can be diagnosed and treated with medication prescribed by a doctor, but there are ways to prevent our risk of developing allergies, starting with a healthy gut. The gut microbiome consists of bacteria that live in our gut in a mutually beneficial relationship with us – they feed us and we feed them.

New research is increasingly finding evidence that a healthy and diverse gut microbiome is associated with fewer allergic symptoms. The rates of allergies have been rising steeply in the last few decades as humans settle in comfortably in urban environments.

Indeed, eating habits have become more homogenised with less variety of food sources. People get outdoors less and do less exercise. Families are also having fewer children and taking more antibiotics. In particular, antibiotics are a potent disruptor of microbial balance in the human gut.

All these factors cause our microbiomes to lose precious diversity, decreasing the number of species in the database that our immune system can recognise as foreign, yet not overreact, because it knows that they are not harmful.

In fact, this idea is not new. As far back as 1989, the hygiene hypothesis of allergy was proposed, stating that the greater our exposure to microorganisms, the lower our risk of developing allergies. This doesnt refer to how often you tidy your room or wash your hands, but rather to factors that affect your level of exposure to microorganisms.