Egg Allergy: Symptoms, Causes and Management

Egg is one of the most common food which causes allergy in the children. The most common is said to be the milk allergy. The reaction ranges from mild signs and symptoms such as nasal congestion or skin reactions to severe life-threatening condition called as anaphylactic shock which will be discussed later.

Experts say that about 2% of born children suffer from egg allergy and studies reveal that about 70% of them outgrow the egg allergy by age 16 but not all of them. That’s why people are worried about it.

Symptoms of Egg Allergy

They appear within a short period of time after exposure to eggs and include:

• Respiratory symptoms like nasal congestion, running nose or sneezing
• Red or watery eyes
• Itching of the skin with raised, red, swellings known as hives
• Digestive symptoms like nausea, abdominal pain, vomiting or diarrhea
• Problem in breathing

Rarely Anaphylactic shock – This is a whole-body response in an allergic person to an allergen, here it is egg. It is life threatening emergency and requires immediate treatment. Anaphylactic shock signs and symptoms include:

• Difficulty in breathing due to constriction of airways
• Choking sensation due to swelling around throat
• Faint and rapid pulse due to drop in the blood pressure
• Giddiness or loss of consciousness

If the anaphylaxis is not treated in time the person can die due to suffocation. It is important to discuss the symptoms with your health professionals because sometimes they are mild and next time they can be lethal. So, you must be well prepared.

Causes of Egg Allergy

Exposure to egg includes:

• After eating: The most common way in which egg allergy occurs in the people
• Direct skin contact:  In some people suffering from egg allergy even direct skin contact can trigger it.
• Cross exposure: During food production there are chances of unwanted exposure of egg components in the food which has no egg content in it and sometimes egg allergic people can have allergic reaction after eating this type of food.
• Vaccination: some vaccines contains egg proteins. If these vaccines are injected into an allergic person it can cause allergic reaction.

Allergies occur because of the overreaction of immune system of body. In egg allergic people their immune system considers the normal egg protein to be harmful and starts producing the chemicals antibodies which cause all the symptoms and signs. The most common chemical released is histamine.

Risk factors for Egg Allergy

Not all people develop allergy to eggs but it is found that most people who have egg allergy have one of these factors in common. Thus, putting them at risk of developing egg allergy.

• Family history: Generally, people who develop food allergy have their family members already suffering from other type of allergies like asthma, hay fever or any food allergy
• Age: Egg allergy is most common in children and as they become adults their immune system matures and they get rid of that allergy but there are chances that it can reappear later in the life

Diagnosis of Egg Allergy

Your allergist uses your past medical history, family history or can perform certain test to make out the diagnosis

History: your doctor will ask you certain questions about your symptoms and relation of these signs with the intake of food because there are chances that you can have allergy to other food items and will advise you to keep a food diary in which you can write your eating habits and the time and nature of these signs and symptoms

Elimination test: If it is suspected that you can be allergic to one or more of the food items then your doctor can advise to eliminate the suspected food from the diet, one at a time and them observing the signs and symptoms. It will help your doctor to identify the food item for which you are allergic. This method cannot be done if you have serious allergic reaction to the food items.

Skin Prick test (SPT): It is used to test whether you are allergic to a substance or not by introducing small amount of allergen in the skin. Here your doctor will keep small amount of food on the skin and prick it with the needle so some amount of it get introduced in the skin if you are allergic to egg then a reaction will be there

Blood test: Your blood is used to check the response of your immune system towards particular food antigen by measuring the levels of allergy specific antibodies that is levels of IgE antibodies.

Management of Egg Allergy

Egg allergy cannot be treated but it can be managed and the only manageable way is to prevent it by avoiding the egg or egg products.

Antihistamines: these medications will not prevent the allergy but they can reduce some mild signs and symptoms. They are not effective in the severe reaction.

Epinephrine shots for treating anaphylactic shock. Despite of several precautions people ingest the egg or egg-based product accidentally. The symptoms are mild most of the time but sometimes it can lead to severe life threatening anaphylactic shock which can only be treated by injecting the epinephrine which can be done in an emergency room, though self-administrable injectors are also available in the market. So, patient must keep an injector with him or her always and should learn to use it.

Prevention of Egg Allergy

You should take the following preventive measures to avoid the serious allergic reactions.

Avoiding eggs completely: Eggs should be avoided completely so you must

• Read the food labels carefully
• Ask about the ingredients of the food which you have not prepared yourself
• If you are allergic to chicken eggs then there are chances that you can be allergic to eggs of other birds

Avoid eating these things as they are the hidden sources of eggs

• Any form of egg whether solid, powdered or even yolk
• Albumin
• Mayonnaise
• Meringue
• Surimi
• Ovalbumin
• some pastas
• cakes
• ice-cream

Counselling: The family members and the colleagues of the patient must be informed by the patient’s allergic condition and emergency epinephrine injector.

References

• Egg allergy. American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology.
• About food allergies: Egg allergy. Food Allergy Research and Education.
• Food allergy: An overview. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
• Wang J, et al. Egg allergy: Clinical features and diagnosis.