Allergies are an immune response to harmless
external triggers. These triggers (allergens) can include food, temperature
changes, insects, dust, pollen, and more. Did you know that 30% of the world’s population has
allergies? (If gathered in one place, that would be equivalent to half the population of the Asian continent!)
Many people are familiar with milk, seafood,
or nut allergies. But there is one allergy that is actually the most commonly found yet the least
recognized: egg allergy—especially
egg white allergy.
But wait—don’t panic just yet. According to
research, 60–75% of egg allergies
resolve spontaneously during adolescence! However… in some individuals, the
symptoms can persist into adulthood.
Why does
this happen?
Egg allergy can sometimes be minimized by
gradually introducing eggs in small amounts. This approach is known as oral immunotherapy. The way eggs are
cooked also greatly affects egg allergy. People tend to be more allergic to raw or half-cooked eggs compared to fully cooked
eggs. However, caution is needed—if consuming eggs still causes severe allergic
reactions, oral immunotherapy often fails to reduce egg allergy symptoms.
Symptoms of
Egg Allergy
Symptoms of egg allergy can range from mild
to severe, such as nausea and vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, and hives
(urticaria). There has even been a case report suggesting that folliculitis (boils) in infants may be
related to egg allergy.
What causes
it?
Research shows that allergies are largely
caused by genetic factors. A child
with both parents having allergies has a
75% chance of developing allergies as well. That’s why it’s important to check allergy tendencies based on genetics!
Watch out
for hidden eggs in foods:
Bread, cakes, ice cream, noodles, crispy starchy foods, sauces, mayonnaise, nuggets/tempura, and even packaged snack foods.
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