Egg allergy is a type of food allergy. It is a hypersensitivity to dietary substances from the yolk or whites of eggs, causing an overreaction of the immune system which may lead to severe physical symptoms. Most people who are allergic react to the proteins in egg whites, but some can’t tolerate proteins in the yolk. Egg allergy usually first appears when kids are very young, and most kids outgrow it by the time they’re 5 years old.
Why egg allergy is common?
Since eggs are among the foods that tend to be introduced early in a baby’s life, that can be one of the problems. There are other reasons. Some foods are more liable than others to provoke allergic reactions because of the kind of proteins they contain.
What happens when a person has an egg allergy?
When a person with an egg allergy eats a food that contains eggs, the immune system unleashes an army of chemicals to protect the body. The release of these chemicals can affect the respiratory system, gastrointestinal tract, skin, and the cardiovascular system – causing allergy symptoms like wheezing, nausea, headache, stomachache, and itchy hives.
Symptoms
Egg allergy is like most food allergy reactions: It usually happens within minutes to hours after eating eggs. Most reactions last less than a day and may affect any of three body systems:
- The skin – in the form of red, bumpy rashes (hives), eczema, or redness and swelling around the mouth
- The gastrointestinal tract – in the form of belly cramps, diarrhea, nausea, or vomiting
- The respiratory tract – symptoms can range from a runny nose, itchy, watery eyes, and sneezing to the triggering of asthma with coughing and wheezing .
Is egg allergy forever?
Although there are some food allergies that tend to be life-long — such as allergy to peanuts — egg allergy is not one of them. By the age of six of seven, most egg-allergic children can eat eggs again with impunity, and a new development of egg allergy after this age is uncommon.
