Egg Allergy: Symptoms and Treatment

Being allergic to eggs is actually one of the most common of childhood. Since both the white and the yolk of the egg contain proteins, there are many opportunities for potential allergies. More often than not, it is the egg whites that cause most of the reactions. Fortunately, the vast majority of children (about two-thirds) with egg allergies outgrow them by the time they reach the age of seven. Also, people who are allergic to regular eggs often have what are known as cross-reactions. That is, they can also be allergic to other kinds of eggs, or they can be sensitive to poultry, usually chicken.

The symptoms of egg allergies are generally eczema (known as atopic dermatitis), hives (urticaria), and redness and swelling (angioedema). However, in some rare instances, it can cause anaphylaxis (also called anaphylactic shock). Ironically, some medications can cause these same reactions. Many flu vaccines are cultured by using chicken eggs. As a result, they hold the potential to cause these same symptoms.

Unfortunately, as eggs are an ingredient in a great number of foods, they are difficult to avoid. It has also been found that sometimes cooking the eggs eliminates the allergenic. Also, while avoiding them is the primary treatment, some people have found limited success using desensitization therapy. In this, the patient is given a small amount of egg initially, and then it is gradually increased over a long period of time. Between this and simply outgrowing the allergy, eggs are often not a long-term problem for most people.

For those people that have to live with egg allergies, treatment is composed of a number of different medications. For the most part, they treat the symptoms. If they have eczema or hives, a topical cream or antibiotic can offer relief. However, anaphylactic shock is a whole different ballgame. That can be life threatening! By definition, it is an allergic reaction that encompasses the whole body when large amounts of histamine are released into the bloodstream. When this happens, the blood vessels dilate and swelling is caused throughout the body. When that swelling gets to the throat, the airway can constrict, leading to blockage. Not only that, the dilation of the blood vessels often causes a massive drop in blood pressure, which then results in shock.

With anaphylactic shock, the treatment is a dose of epinephrine, and that usually requires a trip to a doctor or the hospital. For some patients, doctors will prescribe an EpiPen. This is a device that allows a person to give themselves a measured amount of epinephrine in an emergency.