We often think allergy is a Western disease, however in reality, it is fast becoming a menace in India.

In many Western countries, allergy rates linger around 40 percent. In India, an estimated 25 percent of the population is diagnosed with at least one allergic condition. With our diverse food culture, we have acquired our own portfolio of allergens. Nuts, wheat and dairy are the common ones.

Research shows that brinjal, cucumber, +, papaya among others also trigger allergies in population samples from Mysore and Bengaluru. Some of these food allergies can be life-threatening but most reactions in India are not so severe. They manifest as headaches, itching, joint pain and a variety of skin lesions.

In most cases, allergies occur when an individual who has a genetic sensitivity to certain allergens is exposed to the substance. Family history of allergens increases this risk. The food causing the allergy can be identified by elimination and provocation diet, skin testing and blood tests.

Symptoms of true food allergy involve skin and intestines. They typically begin just after eating and not longer than two hours of ingestion of particular food.

Common symptoms include hives, swelling, itching, eczema, nausea, vomitting, stomach cramps, indigestion, diarrhoea, swelling of eyelids, face, lips, tongue, throat and other parts of the body (called angioedema), wheezing, nasal congestion, troubled breathing, lightheadedness and fainting.

Preventive care:

It’s hard to determine a person’s predisposition to any kind of food, so careful regulation of diet is the only way to find out if you are prone to allergy. Avoiding the offending food is the best way to prevent future reactions. Over-the-counter medicines like antihistamines may be useful in relieving mild itching, swelling and rashes.

Life-threatening allergies need immediate medical attention. Carefully read the ingredients in all packed foods before consumption. Unless advised by your personal physician, never experiment with quantitites of a certain kind of food which may trigger an allergic reaction.

If either or both parents have a personal or family history of allergy like asthma, eczema, hayfever, allergic rhinitis then one can avoid common allergen foods during pregnancy and nursing.

Delaying foods allows a child’s gastrointestinal tract to mature, hence the following strategies may be useful. If an allergy develops, avoid the food altogether.

The writer is a consultant physician