| During the holiday season, you should be aware of food allergies and food poisoning caused by various foods. The photo is of holiday food (source-Clip Art Korea). |
One of the things to be aware of during the Lunar New Year holidays is ‘food allergy’. On holidays, family and friends gather in one place and share food, and due to the nature of Korean food, the ingredients used vary from region to region or household. Therefore, if you have food allergies, it is always good to check the ingredients in advance. With the help of Daedong Hospital, we learned regarding the main symptoms of food allergy and how to deal with them.
Most adults are aware of what food allergies they have. But children often don’t know. So, if your child has a food allergy, you should inform them so that you do not recommend the food carelessly. Children may eat when parents are not looking, so it is necessary to watch more carefully than usual.
A food allergy is an overreaction to proteins in foods following eating certain foods. In addition to mild reactions such as redness, hives, itching, swelling, stuffy nose, sneezing, and coughing, various symptoms such as dizziness, sweating, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, and wheezing may occur. In particular, if you experience symptoms of life-threatening ‘anaphylaxis’, such as difficulty breathing, pale face, choking, difficulty speaking, and loss of consciousness following eating, you should immediately call 119 for help.
In the case of an emergency, first lay the child on a flat surface until 911 arrives and unfasten the clothes that tighten the body. And it’s good to take as much rest as possible and keep monitoring the condition. Even if the symptoms temporarily improve, you must visit a medical institution because a secondary reaction may come.
Daedong Hospital Regional Emergency Medical Center Director Goh Gyeong-wan (emergency medicine specialist) said, “Milk, wheat flour, egg whites, walnuts, peanuts, pine nuts, buckwheat flour, shrimp, peaches, and kiwi are common causes of allergies. When feeding these foods to children, they should be checked for allergic reactions,” he said. Manager Go also said, “I usually know the food that triggers my allergy.
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| Daedong Hospital Regional Emergency Medical Center Director Go Gyeong-wan |
Even adults often visit the emergency room due to allergies during the holiday season, so special care is needed,” he advised.
Food poisoning is a disease that is confused because the symptoms are similar. Food poisoning is a disease caused by eating contaminated food and bacteria or toxins in it. Symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhea are similar to food allergies, but there is a difference in that it takes some time for the symptoms to appear.
In addition, if a child eats caffeine-containing foods, he or she may become overexcited and restless, and a skin rash may appear when consuming acidic foods such as tomatoes and orange juice. Also, be aware that lactose in milk can cause digestive problems such as diarrhea, bloating, and abdominal pain.