If you missed the Special Report by Kristin Price, you can click HERE to view that report.
Allergist Dr. Eric Boren joined us in the studio today to talk about allergies and to answer your questions directly on Facebook.
As he answered your questions on our Facebook page, he also defined what an allergy is and how it differs from a food intolerance.
"Allergy means the immune system has made an antibody (IgE) specifically against the food. This immune system involvement is what can lead to severe life-threatening (anaphylactic) reactions. With food INTOLERANCE, no immune system involvement is seen and thus reactions are self-limited (such as lactose intolerance)," said Dr. Eric Boren.
The following are questions asked to Dr. Boren during our live session on Facebook.
Q: Do children out grow food allergies? - Kathy Ann Morrow
A: Yes, children can outgrow food allergies. Many foods (such as egg, milk, soy, wheat) are often outgrown during elementary school. Others, such as nuts and seafood are much less likely to be outgrown.-Dr. Boren
Q: Can the way you birth your baby, whether it is vaginal or by cesarean section, give your child an increased risk for food allergies? - Brittnee Wilson
A: There is no evidence that the way a child is born has any role in the development of food allergies. However, genetics do play a strong role.-Dr. Boren
Q: How is a child diagnosed with food allergies? Are there treatments that help, or do you just avoid the foods? - Martha Benavides
A: Food allergy is diagnosed by testing for the presence of food-specific IgE antibodies. This can be accomplish with allergy skin tests or allergy blood testing. A history of reaction after food exposure typically is what leads to the evaluation. If positive, only STRICT avoidance can ensure safety and may lead to the food being"outgrown" over time. Everyone with true food allergy should have an epinephrine device for emergency use.-Dr. Boren
Q: Is it common for women to be left with an extremely heightened intolerance after pregnancy? - Jenn Hemingway
A: As pregnancy is considered an immune-suppressed state, some women do find that allergy and intolerances can change (for better or worse) when the immune system "wakes up". Dr. Boren
Q: My daughter is 10 and shes had to be injected with an epi-pen once when she was 1 and then 2 for anaphylactic shock. We only had to use one epi-pen. Have you encountered any cases where a second epi-pen is ever needed? - Karen Arias-Luque
A: A 2-pack is given at the pharmacy for both available devices (EpiPen and Auvi-Q) because there definitely are cases where a second dose may be necessary while 911 has been activated. Also, there can be a delayed or biphasic response where a second wave of an allergic reaction can occur hours later.-Dr. Boren
Q: Can the foods you eat during pregnancy give your child an increased risk to food allergies? - Brittnee Wilson
A: It is unknown if the foods a woman eats during pregnancy may promote food allergy in their child. In general, we recommend if food allergy runs in the family, for women to avoid highly allergenic foods such as nuts but the evidence is unclear.-Dr. Boren
Q: My son has a severe peanut & pumpkin allergy (anaphylaxis). His allergist has left and they had a temp allergist during his my sons last visit. She wanted him to do a food tolerance test. Why would you give the food to someone who's clearly allergic just to confirm again. I refused the test and told them I'll get a second opinion when they get a permanent allergist. - Michelle Jones
A: If there is a clear history of severe reaction, I would NOT reintroduce the food. If BOTH allergy skin and blood tests are negative, over 99% of kids would tolerate a challenge. I would avoid unless testing strongly indicates otherwise. -Dr. Boren
Q: My son has severe food and environmental allergies along with EOSINOPHILIC ESOPHAGITIS. Is there a way to train Drs here in Kern County to bring awareness and treatment options to Kern County instead of traveling to San Diego, UCLA, and Madeira? And once they are in remission, how long does it last? A lot of Drs are not aware of this allergic autoimmue disease and are afraid to treat my son. - Kelly Lutz Lank
A: I can only speak for my practice. I do indeed see both children and adults with eosinophilic esophagitis(EE). The challenge becomes trying to figure out the offending food or foods that is triggering the allergic inflammation in the esophagus.If the trigger can be identified, avoidance will make the condition resolve. If foods triggers are elusive, steroid inhalers are swallowed to control the symptoms. EE is an active area of research.And yes, it may resolve on its own.-Dr. Boren
If you would like to get in contact with Dr. Eric Boren, you can reach him at his clinic, Kern Allergy Medical Clinic, Inc, located on 17th Street. You can also find them on Facebook and at www.kernallergy.com
Dr. Boren also recommends checking out foodallergy.org, and said it is a trusted resource for information on allergies.
