Your child is fond of nuts and has eaten a chocolate with nuts but shortly after that develops a skin rash and starts to itch. The rash may even spread to the surrounding area. This is an indication of food allergy to nuts.

What happens is simple - the body's immune system recognizes specific proteins in the food as harmful (antigens) and produces antibodies which can combat them. This leads to an allergic reaction which can vary from something as simple as a skin rash to severe breathing issues.
Though any child can develop food allergies, in most cases, there is a strong hereditary linkage. If parents have had a history of allergy to certain foods, then there is a strong likelihood that the child could have that food allergy too.

Some of the common foods that can cause allergies are as follows:
1. Cow's milk
2. Eggs
3. Nuts (peanuts, walnuts, pecans, cashews or hazelnuts)
4. Soy
5. Wheat
6. Fish (salmon, cod and others)
7. Shellfish (lobsters, shrimps and others)
Of these, peanuts, seafood, and milk are the most common food stuffs that lead to allergies.

Because the child is yet to realize that he has eaten something that his system will not readily accept, the allergic reaction can be described in various ways, as below:
1. Scratching or itching on the tongue
2. Change in the voice - can become husky or hoarse
3. Burning of the tongue
4 tingling of the tongue
5. Funny feeling in the mouth
6. Feeling of something stuck in the throat
7. Itchy feeling or bugs in the ears
8. Throat going thick
9. Bump on the back of the tongue

These are some ways that a child can describe his allergic reaction. Some of the mild symptoms of a food allergy are as follows:
1. Hives (red, swollen, itchy areas on the skin)
2. Eczema of the skin (dry, itchy rash)
3. Nasal congestion
4. Sneezing
5. Itching of the tongue and the mouth
6. Nausea or vomiting
7. Stomach pain

Severe symptoms include:
1. Severe swelling of the lips and tongue that can block breathing
2. Inability to swallow
3. Difficulty breathing
4. Turning blue
5. Dropping of pulse
6. Drowsiness

As the parent identifies a similar reaction when eating the same food item, they can suspect allergic reactions and immediately reach out to the doctor. A detailed discussion will help establish the causative agent. Once that is known, then avoiding food allergies is quite easy. In fact, a well-informed child will know that avoiding certain foods is very beneficial. This will improve the quality of life of the child, help avoid missing school due to allergic reactions, and help avoid the child (and the parent) suffering.

How to Know if Your Child Suffers From Food Allergy

Swollen breast tissues in men or boys caused by hormonal (testosterone and estrogen) imbalances is called gynecomastia. Both breasts or one breast can be affected by gynecomastia. At any point in life, from birth to puberty, even in adulthood, you might develop gynecomastia. Most of the times, gynecomastia is caused by hormonal imbalances, but there might be some underlying causes as well.
Gynecomastia is normally not a serious condition, but it can be difficult to deal with the pain and embarrassment.
It can be cured with surgery or medication if it doesn't go away on its own.

Symptoms and signs of gynecomastia include:

Enlarged glands in the breast tissue
Tenderness in the breast
The causes that trigger gynecomastia include:

Hormonal changes: Testosterone and estrogen control the sexual development in men and women respectively. Estrogen is not a hormone that only women produce; men produce it too. When the production of testosterone and estrogen are thrown out of balance, gynecomastia occurs.
Medication: Certain medications such as anabolic steroids, androgens, HIV/AIDS medicines, antibiotics and chemotherapy can cause gynecomastia.
Drugs and alcohol: Substances such as alcohol, marijuana, amphetamines, heroin and methadone cause gynecomastia.
Health condition: Certain factors, such as aging, hypogonadism (hormonal disorder), hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid gland), tumors, kidney failure, cirrhosis, liver failure, malnutrition and starvation can lead to gynecomastia.
Herbal products: Essential oils derived from plants such as lavender or tea tree, used in lotions or shampoos, have weak estrogenic actives. They have been said to cause gynecomastia.
Gynecomastia can be cured either with medication or surgery. Surgical options for gynecomastia are, however, limited.

The two surgical options for gynecomastia include:

Liposuction: Liposuction only removes the fat from the breast, not the breast gland tissue. It has fewer complications, there is limited or zero blood loss and there is less distortion of the nipple.
Mastectomy: Mastectomy removes the gland tissues in the breast. The surgery uses minimal incisions to remove the gland tissue. Also, it involves less time to recover. 

Gynecomastia (Enlarged Breast In Men) - Know The Treatments!

Food allergy is actually an abnormal response triggered by the immune system to food as if it is threatening. Food intolerance looks similar to food allergies. However, the difference lies in how each one of them affects an individual. Food allergy is extremely intrinsic and to an extent, affects the internal organs. 

On the other hand, food intolerance is less severe, mostly just affects the digestive system due to the inability to digest that particular food properly, leading to an upset stomach. Most of the people suffer from food intolerance only, but they confuse it with food allergy.

About ninety percent of all cases of food allergy are related to only eight types of food as per research statistics. These are milk, tree nuts, egg, peanut, soy, wheat, shellfish, and fish.

The Reaction:\

In order to understand how symptoms manifest, it is of utmost importance, in this case, to understand how an allergic reaction to food occurs. An allergic reaction is a bi-step process as discussed further.

Step1: On exposure to the food allergen for the first time, the body reacts abnormally and produces IgE antibodies against the perceived allergen. These circulate throughout the entire body with blood and attach themselves to basophils (found in blood) and mast cells (found in sites like the nose, lungs, throat, gastrointestinal tract, skin, etc.).

Step 2: The next time the body is exposed to a particular food allergen, it gets alert and alarms the tissue that releases histamine in large quantity. Depending on the site of release, allergy symptoms are caused, ranging from mild to severe to potentially life-threatening (for example, in anaphylaxis).

The time span for an allergic reaction manifesting into symptoms can vary between a few minutes to several hours post exposure to the food allergen. The site of mast cells for release of histamine greatly affects the location and timing of the reaction.

Who is at Higher Risk?

If a person has a family history of developing a food allergy, it creates even greater chances for him/ her to have the same or similar reactions. If both the parents have some kind of allergic reaction to food, it is very likely that the child would have that too.

Symptoms:

Symptoms of food allergies largely depend on the sites of mast cells that release histamines. It is possible that these sites are located in nose, ears, or throat leading to itching in mouth, having a trouble in swallowing and breathing, and swelling of lips and tongue. If the location is in the gastrointestinal tract, it may lead to vomiting, diarrhoea, and abdominal pain. If it is in the skin, it might lead to hives, itching, decolourization, pigmentation, worsened eczema, etc.

Cross Reactivity:

If a person has an allergy to a particular food, it is advisable to abstain from similar types of food. For example, if somebody is allergic to crab, he/ she should abstain from shrimp, crayfish, lobster, etc. too as they might also trigger the reaction. This is called cross reactivity.

Treatment:

It is always advisable to abstain from foods which cause an allergic reaction in an individual. However, in case it has already occurred, there are two major types of medication which help in relieving the symptoms. Antihistamines are used for treating mild to chronic reaction, whereas adrenalines are used for severe reaction like in anaphylaxis.

Take Away:

Food allergy is usually a condition for life and cannot be permanently treated. However, symptoms can be relieved. Therefore, it is advisable to avoid the allergy, causing group of food.

Food Allergy - Everything About It!

The development of breasts is one of the most prominent physical difference between the structure of a man and a woman. In some cases, hormonal imbalances can cause enlargement of the male breast gland, which is known as gynecomastia.  Apart from being a cause for embarrassment, it is also associated with a number of medical conditions such as kidney failure and liver cirrhosis. However, there is little need to worry if you have been diagnosed with such a condition as it can easily be treated with dietary changes, medication and surgery. Among these, surgery is the only method of treatment that guarantees a permanent and immediate solution to the problem. 

Surgical treatment for gynecomastia is of two types

Liposuction 
Mastectomy
The type of surgery suitable for you will depend on a number of factors including the extent and type of gynecomastia.

Liposuction involves the removal of fat from the breast, but does not touch the breast tissue itself. For this surgery, a surgeon makes a small incision on either side of the chest or along the edge of the areola. Excessive fat is then removed through these incisions and the skin and remaining tissue is then restructured. Liposuction can take anywhere between a week and 3 weeks for complete recovery. In the meanwhile, the patient must wear a compression garment to minimize the swelling and support the chest tissue as it heals. 

A mastectomy on the other hand is used to remove the breast tissue. A mastectomy is performed endoscopically and hence is less invasive. In this case, the incisions are located around the edge of the areola or in the natural crease of the chest. A mastectomy requires a shorter recovery period. In some cases, a combination of the two techniques may also be used. 

The results of both surgical approaches can be seen immediately after the surgery. Slight soreness and pain is a common side effect of this procedure and can be relieved with pain medication. Some men may also experience a temporary loss of sensation over the treated area. 

Though the results of both types of surgeries are permanent, it is important to maintain a healthy lifestyle after the surgery. Unhealthy eating that leads to significant weight gain can make the problem recur. Use of steroids or medication that affects the testosterone levels in the body and certain medical conditions can also lead to recurring gynecomastia.

Enlarged Male Breast Problem - Is Surgery Helpful?

While women strive to enhance the way their breasts look, the development of breast tissue in men can be embarrassing. This condition is known as Gynecomastia. It can affect one or both breasts in a symmetric or asymmetric manner and is caused by an imbalance of estrogen and testosterone hormones. It can also be caused due to a side effect of medication or because of other health problems such as an overactive thyroid or tumor. In some cases, this condition can get resolved on its own while in other cases, medication and surgery may be recommended.

Medications

Before undergoing treatment for Gynecomastia, it is essential to ascertain that you are in fact suffering from this condition. This is because gynecomastia and the buildup of fat tissue in the chest can look similar, but are treated differently. When treating this condition, medication needs to be supplemented with controlled calorie intake and physical exercise. It is also cheaper than surgical treatment.

Surgical Treatment

Surgery is often the preferred mode of treatment for significantly enlarged male breasts. Surgical treatment for gynecomastia is of two types:

    Liposuction: This removes fat from the breast, but leaves the breast gland tissue in place. Liposuction can be performed in a number of ways. It involves making two or more incisions through which narrow tubes are inserted into the chest area. This tube is gently moved around to loosen the excess fat tissue that is then sucked out.
    Mastectomy: This procedure removes the breast gland tissue itself. It is performed endoscopically and hence has a quicker recovery time and involves less scarring.

You may feel a slight discomfort after the surgery for a few days. You will also be advised to wear a chest support brace for a few days to allow your body to heal without putting any pressure on the site of the surgery. Normal activities can be resumed within 2 to 3 days but avoid strenuous activities of heavy lifting for a month after the surgery.

As long as you follow a healthy lifestyle and have a balanced diet, either of the above surgical procedures should have a lasting effect. This makes surgery a more preferred form of treatment than medication.

Apart from this, certain exercises can also help tone chest muscles and reduce fat tissue. This includes inclines dumbbell presses, push-ups and exercises that focus on pectoral muscles. However, this is a very gradual process and hence suitable only for mild cases of gynecomastia.

Gynecomastia Treatment

Gynecomastia is a hormonal condition that causes swelling of the breast tissues in men and boys. This condition usually arises as a result of hormonal imbalance. Breasts do not form in the same pattern in males as they do in females but all males are naturally born with tiny quantities of the breast tissues. The male body produces the testosterone hormone, which plays an important role for growth during the stage of puberty. However, they also make the hormone estrogen that is instrumental for developing sexual growth in females.

When a male passing through the stage of puberty makes lesser amounts of testosterone then there is an imbalance of the hormones. As a result of the higher amount of estrogen present in men leads to swelling of the breast tissues.

Cause of imbalance-

Aside from the common reason which is the lesser production of testosterone, there are a few other reasons that can put into effect this imbalance. They are-

  Injury to the testicles that are responsible for producing testosterone
  Obesity which leads to greater production of estrogen
  Taking illegal drugs
  Liver disorder
  Failure of the kidney
  Thyroid problems that result in throwing off your hormonal balance
  Medications that you might be taking for illnesses such as cancer, depression, heart disorders and ulcers

Treatment of Gynecomastia

The treatment of gynecomastia involves a general surgery which reduces the size of breasts by flattening and enhancing the contours of the chest. If in very severe cases the weight of the breast tissue has sagged and stretched the areola region, then the areola size can be improved surgically by reducing the excess skin.

  Mammaplasty

Plastic surgery, known as Mammaplasty, is also sometimes put into effect in order to treat the condition of gynecomastia.

  Liposuction

In the case of liposuction, the procedure of the treatment first starts with a set of medications that need to be consumed. These medications help to reduce pain during the surgery. There are two ways of taking this medication, either through intravenous sedation or via general anaesthesia. The liposuction technique involves the insertion of a hollow tube with the help of several incisions. Liposuction technique is generally prescribed if the cause of gynecomastia is excess of fatty tissues. During the procedure, the cannula or the tube will be moved back and forth in order to loosen up the excess fat. This fat is then removed via vacuum suction.

  Excision Technique

The excision technique is prescribed when the glandular breast tissue needs to be removed in order to rectify gynecomastia. In this procedure, the nipple will either be repositioned to a manlier contour or the areola size will either be lessened. In some other cases, the general surgery of gynecomastia can also involve a combination of both the excision technique as well as the liposuction technique.

Gynecomastia is a condition that can severely damage the emotional balance of a man and lessen their self-confidence. It has been also seen that many men suffering from this condition tend to avoid physical intimacy or sexual activities as a result of body-image issues. Therefore, treatment is highly recommended for those suffering from gynecomastia.

Gynecomastia - Knowing The Causes & Treatment Of It!

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