
If you have an allergy to some food, even a very tiny bit of food can make you sick. Lots of kids have food allergies - about 3 million in the United States alone.
The foods that cause the most food allergies include peanuts and other nuts; seafood, such as shrimp; milk, particularly cow's milk; eggs; wheat.
What Is a Food Allergy?
Food allergies occur when your immune system makes a mistake. Usually, your immune system protects you from germs and disease. It does this by making antibodies that help you fight off bacteria, viruses, and other tiny organisms that can make you sick. But if you have a food allergy, your immune system mistakenly treats something in a certain food as if it's really dangerous to you.
What's a Reaction Like?
In the most serious cases, a food allergy can cause anaphylaxis (过敏症). This is a sudden, severe allergic reaction in which several problems occur all at once and can involve the skin, breathing,digestion,the heart and blood vessels. A person's blood pressure can drop, breathing tubes can narrow and the tongue can swell. People at risk for this kind of reaction have to be very careful and need a plan for handling emergencies, when they might need to get special medicine to stop these symptoms from getting worse.
What Will the Doctor Do?
If you think you may be allergic to a certain food,let your parents know. They will take you to the doctor to get it checked out. If your doctor thinks you might have a food allergy,he or she will probably send you to see a doctor who specializes in allergies. The allergy specialist will ask you about past reactions and how long it takes between eating the food and getting the symptom,such as hives. The allergist also may ask about whether anyone else in your family has allergies or other allergy-related conditions. The allergist may also want to do a skin test. This is a way of seeing how your body reacts to a very small amount of the food that is giving you trouble.
According to the passage, you will have a food allergy when your immune system ______ .
A. recognizes tiny organisms in a certain food
B. mistakenly makes antibodies to help fight off something in a certain food
C. prevents something harmful in the food from entering your digestive system
D. releases chemicals to remove harmful things in a certain food
In the sudden and severe allergic reaction, which of the following may happen? ______
A. Blood pressure rising.
B. Lips swelling.
C. Breathing difficulty.
D. Heart beating becoming slow.
Which of the following suggestions is given to those at risk of severe allergic reaction? ______
A. Taking medicine as soon as an allergic reaction appears.
B. Avoiding eating any food when going outside.
C. Always carrying with special medicine for possible symptoms.
D. Preparing a plan for dealing with emergencies ahead of time.
What will an allergist do to check your food allergy out? ______
A. Ask you about the allergy-associated information.
B. Give you some medicine right away.
C. Enquire about your present feeling towards the food.
D. Give you a shot of liquid extract of food.