From media to books, we’ve learned that food allergies happen as children and can persist into adulthood. It’s seemingly impossible for an adult to discover that they are, all of a sudden, allergic to tree nuts. However, this is very much, not the case. In fact, more and more adults are dealing with allergies now more than ever, and it’s causing people to start to wonder about what is going on. Is a test for allergies required in adulthood? It’s definitely an option to consider, that’s for sure.
A test for allergies is always relevant
Whether you’re concerned about adult on-set allergies or you just need the assurance that a formal test can offer you, considering an allergy test is a great option. The test itself is simple, efficient and virtually pain-free. The results will be backed up with an explanation on what the test results are saying and explain any changes that you need to make to your diet in order to accommodate them.
Why are adults having more problems with allergies?
While there has never been any literature out to suggest that adults are “immune” to developing allergies seemingly out of nowhere, there has been a rise in cases where adults are suffering allergic reactions and, after taking a test for allergies, discover they’ve got a food allergy that they didn’t know about. Specialists are starting to take a look at why that might be. Two suggestions include:
• Delayed sensitization to an allergen: Experimenting with a variety of foods as an infant, toddler and child is important to prevent allergies. As this stage takes place, food allergies usually present themselves, and the tests are done. A lot of children will grow out of them over time. However, sometimes the sensitization period to an allergen (the period in which the body becomes allergic to a food ingredient) can get delayed for an unclear reason. A child may be fine eating almonds all his childhood and teenage years. Then, shortly after becoming an adult, he starts having allergic reactions to almonds seemingly out of nowhere. The sensitivity was present in childhood but delayed until adulthood.
• Reacting to cross-pollination by mistake: While the human body is smart, sometimes it can make mistakes. One example is when your body sets off an allergic reaction to pollen that is present on a kind of food, and not the food itself. Perhaps you are allergic to latex, for example. If you eat a kiwi or a banana that has come into contact with latex, the latex could set off an allergy that your body mistakes for a kiwi or a banana allergy. From then on, your body is allergic to latex and kiwis/bananas. This is becoming more and more frequent.
There is still a lot of research to be done in terms of adult on-set allergies and why the sensitivity period is so delayed. There is also more information needed on why a body can mistake an allergen and create a second one as a result. However, the prominence of adult diagnoses tells us that a test for allergies is now a better idea than ever in order to make sure that you are always “in the know” about potential weaknesses your body has and how to make sure they don’t catch you off-guard.
