Foods That Trigger An Asthma Attack - Common Food Allergies And Asthma Attack

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According to the latest statistics, the chronic respiratory ailment asthma has already hit over 250 million people across the world of which over 24 million are in the United States. As compared to the developing economies, the developed nations tend to have higher percentage of asthma patients, which is almost five times more.

This fact has made the experts realize that asthma can worsen with increase in air pollution, allergens, and intake of some foods that tend to be more in the developed nations.According to the International Food Information Council, 2% of the total adults and 6 to 8% of the kids suffer from food-induced asthma attacks annually in America.

Therefore, an asthma attack is possible if you are hypersensitive to some triggering foods. So, are you eager to know the foods that trigger an asthma attack so that you can alleviate its rate and intensity? Well then, let us check them out now!

Milk And Its Products

Milk and dairy items such as cream, butter, yogurt, cheese, milk protein powder, and milk chocolate can worsen the condition. MayoClinic.com reveals that hypersensitivity to milk can tighten the airways further to trigger a severe asthma attack.

It is actually the milk protein that causes or worsens an asthma attack by boosting the production of mucus and constriction of the airways. Moreover, an asthma attack is also possible even as a reaction to the small quantity intake of antibiotics present in cow’s milk.

Nuts

These are among the common triggers of asthma attacks. Hypersensitivity to nuts results in inflaming the airways, which consequently leads to shortness of breathing and wheezing.

If this inflammation is quite severe, it can also lead to anaphylaxis that is an acute allergic reaction featuring swollen throats, extremely restricted airways, loss of consciousness, and hypotension.

According to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, nearly three million Americans are hypersensitive to peanuts.

Food Additives

Flavorings, colorings, preservatives, and enhancers are some of the common causes of asthma attacks in children. In fact, some kids are extremely hypersensitive to these additives.

A few major additives that can trigger an asthma attack are monosodium glutamate or MSG in chips, soups, and Chinese items; nitrites; salt; sulfur dioxide in drinks, pickles, and canned foods; sulphites in drinks; salicylates in chocolates and yeast extracts; tartrazine (E102) in baked items, candies, and processed foods; benzoate preservatives; food colors such as E104 and E110; and antioxidant additives such as E310 and E321.

Shellfish

Oysters, shrimps, lobsters, crabs, mussels, squid, and scallops are some of the common causes of asthma attacks. If you are allergic to any shellfish, it is vital to know that even a small amount of its intake can initiate a life-threatening asthma attack featuring intense asthma symptoms. You need to be careful, especially at the restaurants offering seafood where cross-contamination is common.

Wheat

This is a rich source of many proteins such as gluten, albumin, and globulin whose allergy can lead to an asthma attack. The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America says that hypersensitivity to wheat triggers an asthma attack in just a few minutes after eating the eatables made from wheat or inhaling its flour.

Moreover, inhaling flour particles also triggers baker’s asthma that features all the common symptoms of asthma along with chest whistling. As compared to adults, wheat allergies are common in youngsters.