utorak, 15. travnja 2014.

About Allergies: Are Hives Caused by Food Additives and Preservatives?

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From Daniel More, MD, your Guide to Allergies

 Urticaria, also known as hives, can affect up to 20 percent of the population. Most people with chronic urticaria (hives lasting more than 6 weeks) have the suspicion of some type of food allergy as the cause of their hives. In many instances, people are concerned that food additives or preservatives are the cause of their symptoms. These people may attempt to follow a preservative-free diet, with possible improvement in their symptoms. When they see an allergist for further evaluation, they find that there is no simple way to test for allergy to additives and preservatives. A recent study sought to determine if eleven different food preservatives and drug additives were responsible for chronic hives in 100 different people. Find out the results of this interesting study.

Do Food Additives and Preservatives Cause Hives?
Most people with chronic urticaria have the suspicion of some type of food allergy as the cause of their hives. In many instances, people are concerned that food additives or preservatives are the cause of their symptoms. These people may attempt to follow a preservative-free diet, with possible improvement in their symptoms. When they see an allergist for further evaluation, they find that there is no simple way to test for allergy to additives and preservatives.
Search Related Topics:  hives  food allergy  allergy to food preservatives

All About Allergy to Food Additives and Preservatives
There are thousands of substances added to various foods for the purposes of coloring, flavoring and preserving. Additives are usually only a very small component of foods, but have been suspected of causing various reactions. Food additives include the following groups:
  • Food dyes and colorings (such as tartrazine, annatto and carmine)
  • Antioxidants (such as BHA and BHT)
  • Emulsifiers and stabilizers (such as gums and lecithin)
  • Flavorings and taste enhancers (such as MSG, spices and sweeteners)
  • Preservatives (such as benzoates, nitrates and sulfites)

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) keeps a list ofall of the food additives currently used in the United States.

Search Related Topics:  food allergies  skin testing  allergist

Find Out About Chronic Hives
Urticaria, commonly known as hives, is a disorder affecting up to 20% of the population at some point in their lives. The swelling that sometimes accompanies hives, called "angioedema," can lead to swelling of the face, hands and feet. Hives usually feel very itchy and burning (although angioedema is often painful) or cause a tingling sensation — and these symptoms often make people miserable. While people who suffer from hives are not alone, this isn’t much of a comfort to them when their lives are consumed with not knowing why they have their symptoms. Hives can literally turn a person’s life upside down: They’re uncomfortable. One often doesn’t know what’s causing their hives, why they can’t sleep and why they don’t want to leave their homes or go to work — all of this can lead to emotional distress. Yet, hives are often easily treated with medications.

Xolair Get FDA Approval for the Treatment of Chronic Hives
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently approved the use of Xolair for the treatment of chronic idiopathic urticaria (CIU). CIU is the name used to describe hives that last... Read more


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