The Strong Link Between Food Allergies and Hormones

Many people ask me if food allergies can be affected by hormones, especially by people that did not have any known food allergies earlier in their life. I am honored to have Valerie Johnston from Healthline writing this guest post for me to give a clearer picture of how this can all be a part of the ever-expanding world of food allergies. 

Allergies affect nearly fifty percent of the U.S. population. They can come in all different forms, from food and drug allergies to pets and pollen. People can become allergic to just about anything at any time in their lives. While many allergies surface in the younger years, hormone changes brought about later on in life can often cause new allergic reactions to form, especially food related ones. This is because there is a very strong link  link between food allergies and hormones.

What Are Allergies Anyway?

Allergies are actually very complicated things. Essentially, an allergic reaction is caused by a misfired immune response in the body. So, if a bee stings someone, his or her body shoots off certain immune responses that cause specific reactions to begin. In a normal person, the immune system would recognize the bee sting and send the proper signals to get the infection out and the swelling down as soon as possible. However, in allergic people, their immune system overreacts to the sting and sends a bunch of crazy signals that can cause massive swelling, irritation, hives, and sometimes even swelling of the throat in more severe cases. 

Food Allergies

Food allergies work in much of the same way. When the body is exposed to a certain food, the immune system incorrectly identifies that food as being dangerous or harmful, as it would an infection or illness. However, the food is not actually bad. So, the body sends out antibodies to attack the source of the danger, which causes all the symptoms of an allergic reaction. Some people have more severe food allergies and can die from simply touching something to which they are allergic. In most cases, though, people will food allergies will experience hives, a stuffy or runny nose, sneezing, possible swelling of the tongue or throat, and maybe an upset stomach.

What Hormones Can Do

Once people figure out their allergic triggers, they can usually avoid them pretty easily and take medications to ease their symptoms. So, the question for many allergy sufferers then often becomes one of “why” rather than “what.” This is especially true for people with adult onset allergies. These individuals sometimes do not know why they are experiencing all of these allergies that they never used to have as a child. Hormones are the answer.

Because the immune system and the hormone system are pretty closely related, when one changes, so does the other. There are several stages in people’s lives when their hormone levels naturally fluctuate, which is often when they will see the appearance of new allergies, mainly to food. For example, puberty and the female menstrual cycle are major hormone changes that often cause allergic changes as well. Food allergies are more common because food is something people come into contact with on a daily basis and it is easy for the body to mistake it for something threatening.

Not all hormone fluctuations are naturally occurring, though. Sometimes, these ups and downs can be brought on by stress or other external factors. Some people even get hormone injections for a variety of reasons. These injections can trigger immune system changes that may lead to the development of new food or other allergies.

Solutions

Because allergies are so unpredictable and can come about at any point in time, there is no real way of knowing how to stop or prevent them. However it is possible to keep them in check by avoiding the triggers, taking certain allergy medications, and being sure to keep a close eye on one’s bodily changes. Though not everyone will develop allergies, it is likely that most people will have an allergic reaction at some point in their lives due to the strong link between food allergies and hormones and the fact that all people experience hormone fluctuations throughout their lifetimes.

Valerie Johnston is a health and fitness writer located in East Texas. With ambitions of one day running a marathon, writing for Healthline.com ensures she keeps up-to-date on all of the latest health and fitness news.