Egg allergy

One thing that many people don't realize is that egg allergies are actually one of the most common food allergies in children, but the best thing about egg allergies is that it is another food allergy that is usually outgrown during childhood. In fact numerous studies have been done that shows as many as two-thirds of children who have an egg allergy actually outgrow that allergy by the time they turn seven. What this means is that there are not very many adults who have a true egg allergy. But it is interesting to note that in some rare cases you can develop an egg allergy as an adult, but it is more common for this allergy to develop in your childhood. And when it comes to egg allergies you need to know that while you can be allergic to either the yolk or the egg white, the reason for this is that both are potentially allergenic because they are made of numerous proteins, but in most cases the egg whites cause more reactions than the egg yolks.

Can you have cross reactions with egg allergies?

The simple answer to this question is that you can experience cross reactions if you have an egg allergy, but having cross reactions isn't all that common. If you are allergic to hen's eggs you can actually have a cross reaction to two types of foods. The first group of food that you can have a cross reaction with is other types of bird eggs, including quail or duck eggs. The other type of food that you can have a cross reaction with is poultry, but especially chicken. The reason for this is that there is one protein that is present in both poultry and eggs, that protein is alpha-livetin also referred to as chicken serum albumin. This protein is what causes you to have an allergy to both foods, but luckily this type of allergy is pretty rare. But something else that you need to know about this protein is that it is also responsible for people developing egg allergies later on in life rather than in their childhood. The reason for this is that the protein has actually been identified as the cause of the "bird egg syndrome", which is where people who have a lot of contact with birds actually become sensitized to the bird feathers and also develop egg allergies.

Another reaction that you need to watch out for is the flu vaccine. The reason for this is that flu vaccines are actually cultured in chicken eggs. This means that there is a potential reaction in people who receive the vaccine and are allergic to eggs. If you are allergic to eggs the current protocol is to administer a skin test using the actual flu vaccine, this is according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. If the test comes back positive then the doctor and patient will determine if the patient's flu risk justifies getting the vaccine. If the risk does justify getting the vaccine the vaccine will be given to the patient in an allergist's office or hospital so that any emergency symptoms can be controlled, if necessary.

What are the symptoms of egg allergies?

One of the best things about egg allergies is that it very rarely causes anaphylactic shock; in fact most of the symptoms for egg allergies are actually pretty mild when compared to other food allergies. The most common type of allergic response to an egg allergy is eczema; in fact egg allergies are the most common trigger for this skin condition, especially in children. But the other common symptoms that you will find with egg allergies are hives and redness and swelling.

Can egg allergies be treated?

Most of the time food allergies cannot be treated; in fact the only way to deal with food allergies is to avoid the foods that you are allergic too. But you can sometimes take various medications to help relieve some of the symptoms that you might be suffering from due to an allergic reaction. But with egg allergies this is not the actual case, meaning there is a treatment that works for some people, but for the most part the best type of treatment is avoidance. But through numerous scientific studies there has actually been some evidence collected that shows that desensitization therapy is actually an effective treatment of egg allergies. Basically this therapy involves given the patient an increasing amount of the allergen over a long period of time. And as time goes by the allergen triggers less of a response, which in the end the person can eat the allergen and suffer no symptoms.

Foods that contain eggs

One of the good things about egg allergies is that eggs are not as difficult to avoid as other food allergens, such as soy and diary, but that doesn't mean that eggs aren't present in a variety of foods because they are. In fact all mass marketed mayonnaise is made with eggs, so that is one thing that you are going to need to avoid. But you are also going to need to avoid many baked goods, batters, and pretzels. You are also going to need to avoid ice cream, especially French and Italian style ice creams, also called gelati, because they are made from eggs. There are numerous other foods that you are going to need to avoid, including some entrées and soups, so just be sure to read all labels carefully and ask questions if you are not sure about a product. What to look for on labels to avoid egg in various products.

• Albumin
• Egg whites
• Egg yolk
• Dried egg
• Egg powder
• Egg solids
• Egg substitutes
• Eggnog
• Globulin
• Livetin
• Lysozyme, mostly used in Europe
• Mayonnaise
• Meringue
• Ovalbumin
• Ovomucin
• Ovomucoid
• Ovovitellin
• Simplesse

Some things to look for with food products that signal egg use.

• A shiny glaze or yellow baked goods
• Egg whites and egg shells might be used as clarifying agents in soup stocks, consommés, bouillons, and coffees

Information for using egg substitutes

If you are following a recipe that calls for eggs the good news is that you can substitute different things for an egg. For each egg that the recipe calls for try substituting one of the following:

• 1 tsp. baking powder, 1 Tbsp. water, 1 Tbsp. vinegar
• 1 tsp. yeast dissolved in ¼ cup warm water
• 1 Tbsp. apricot puree
• 1 ½ Tbsp. water, 1 ½ Tbsp. oil, 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 packet gelatin, 2 Tbsp. warm water (Do not mix these until you are ready to use.)

Here are some tips on how you can live with an egg allergy

• Like all other food allergens the best thing that you can do is to avoid all contact with eggs. This will reduce your risk of being exposed to the allergen and suffering from an allergic reaction.
• You can buy a variety of substitutes for egg-containing products at most of your major supermarkets. If you have problems finding these substitutes you can also look online at various websites. But to get the biggest variety when it comes to egg free products your best bet is to look at smaller health food stores.
• You also need to be very alert to the fact that there is a possibility of cross contamination. You are going to want to make sure that any utensils that you are using to cut or eat egg free products are washed thoroughly before each use.
• Eggs are also another common hidden allergen in various non food products so you want to be on the lookout for that as well. One of the most common products that your children will use that contain eggs is tempera paint; the main ingredient is actually eggs.
• Vegenaise is a good egg free alternative to mayonnaise.
• Egg replacers can leaven baked goods, but you will need to add moisture to the baked good mix in the form of water or butter.
• If you are buying egg substitute products in the supermarket refrigerator section as an egg replacement for allergies you need to read the labels very carefully because many times they are made from eggs. In fact most of them, which are cholesterol-lowering egg substitute products, are made from real eggs.
• It is easy to find egg free pasta because most dried pastas are actually a combination of durum semolina and water, but you still want to read labels carefully. Fresh pasta is a harder problem to find an alternative for so be sure to read all labels carefully. Also with pasta your flatter noodles are less likely to contain egg than your macaroni and other tube shaped pastas.
• Orgran and Cherrybrook Kitchen are two of the biggest manufacturers of baking mixes and other food products for egg allergies. Some of the products that they offer include egg free pancake, bread, and frosting mixes.