Why Can Someone Be Allergic to Meat?

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Food allergies are one of the most common types of allergies. Typically, foods that trigger allergic reactions are milk, eggs, seafood, nuts, and certain fruits or vegetables. However, have you heard of meat allergy?

If after eating meat, your skin starts to rash itchy rashes, stomach feels nauseous, even accompanied by nasal congestion or even runny, this is a sign you may have a meat allergy. Yes, although somewhat rare, some people may be allergic to any kind of livestock meat.

Why is there anyone who is allergic to meat?

Allergies are the unnatural reactions generated by the immune system against something you eat, drink, touch, or inhale that is actually harmless. Because your body thinks it's a hazard (though, it does not), the immune system releases antibodies against the "threat". There are various allergic reactions that can affect the skin, digestive tract, to the respiratory or cardiovascular system.

Doctors do not know why some people may have food allergies. Most allergies decline in the family. So if you have a close family member who has allergies, your risk will be greater for having allergies.

Well whenever meat is cooked, there are many proteins that are released and can trigger allergies especially in some sensitive or susceptible people allergies. In addition, mammalian meat contains galactose-alpha-1,3-galactose natural antibodies, also known as alpha-gal, which can interact with carbohydrates found in meat. Interaction between the two can cause whole body itching, rash and swollen coolies, and abdominal pain.

Alpha-gal is transferred to humans from Lone Star lice. Lone Star tick bites can cause a person to be allergic to red meat, including beef and pork. This tick is commonly found in the southeastern United States, from Texas, Lowa, to New England.

What are the symptoms of meat allergy?

Meat allergy symptoms generally include itching, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, difficulty breathing / shortness of breath, palpitations, to skin rash and swelling. Meat allergy reactions may appear soon within minutes after the last bite, or appear slowly within hours of it.

The severity of symptoms can vary between people. Severe allergic reactions, called anaphylactic shock, can also occur and this is an emergency medical situation because it can be life threatening.
Any meat that can trigger an allergic reaction?

All animal flesh may trigger allergies in sensitive people, including beef, poultry (chicken, turkey, duck, etc.), pork, to goats and sheep.

Basically, meat allergy involves all kinds of meat proteins. But so far, beef is the most common form of meat allergy. Meanwhile, most people who have allergies to pork first have an allergy to cat fur.

Reported from the Very Well page, beef allergies affect up to 20% of children, especially in those susceptible to atopic dermatitis. Of these, 93 percent have milk allergies. So, children who have a history of milk allergy may also be allergic to beef.

In general if you are allergic to one type of meat, you may also be allergic to pigs and poultry.

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