Pandemic Pet
The pandemic continues although in some places it is slowing, other places, that unadvisedly reopened, are exploding; meanwhile, I am still at home working remotely, and my spouse is starting to work, back on-site at a health providers office. Part of what has made staying at home tolerable, other than the fact I am getting paid to work from home, is that the dogs have forced us to take walks, move throughout the day to play or feed them, and have continuously kept us entertained.
So the rush to get a ”Pandemic Pet,” is very understandable. They help the time pass, demand attention, provide undying love and support, and are just all around great companions when stuck at home. Just a reminder to those who joined the rush to get a pet; these fellow animals are not accessories just for when we are needy, they are a lifetime commitment.
The Dogs, The Dogs
Three years ago, when my spouse was looking for a dog, we quickly realized that I may be allergic to them. I get around dogs, and wham, I have watery, itchy eyes and my sinuses flare up to where I can barely breathe. So we figured I should get a formal, medical allergy test.
I went to an allergist who did a very large number of pricks on my back to test my allergic response (food, pets, plants, etc.) and per usual, I did not respond to any of them except for the test sample. So he concluded I have “non-specific allergies.” Great, I already knew that!
So in the search for a dog, we tested out a GoldenDoodle, often noted as hypoallergenic. The visit went well and we welcomed Charlie into our lives. Two plus years later, after realizing Charlie was acting lonely and a bit depressed, we got Maggie, a Havanese. And it has gone pretty well, meaning I do have some reactions, but they are minimal. (Bottom line is that even if I had symptoms at this point, they are in their permanent home.)
What Does This Have To Do With Food?
A couple of years ago I ate a corn-crusted, deep dish pizza at a well known local pizza place, and reacted afterwards with all the eye and nose symptoms as well as a persistent cough and stomach issues. It happened again the next time we ate there, so I stopped eating there. I thought it could be the large amount of acidic tomatoes that were in the pizza, perhaps coupled with American’s tendency to not remove the skins and seeds.
A bit later, we then ate at a local Greek restaurant and after I ate some of the great, flavored french fries I started coughing, runny eyes, and sniffling. Another immediate reaction at a restaurant. But to what? I had eaten a falafel pita sandwich and some fries.
Half a year later I ate a Mexican-type casserole (containing rice, black beans, jalapeno, Pico de Gallo, corn, cheese and hot sauce) with a side of corn chips. Within 5 minutes of eating the food, my sinuses became swollen, I started sniffing, coughing a fair amount, and my eyes started to become itchy, red, and leaking. OMG, I thought, I am having an allergic response to something again.
After much trial and error, I can now tell for certain that I have real, biological responses to most dogs, cats, and corn. (Did I tell you I love corn? Love cats too!) Turns out the pizza restaurant used cornmeal on the crust and the Greek restaurant fries were done in corn oil.
But is my response an actual allergy or a case of food intolerance?
Food Intolerance Vs Allergies
AAAA&I: Some of the symptoms of food intolerance and food allergy are similar, but the differences between the two are very important. Eating a food you are intolerant to can leave you feeling miserable. However, if you have a true food allergy, your body’s reaction to this food could be life-threatening.
Cleveland Clinic: Food allergies affect about 1 percent of adults and 7 percent of children, although some children outgrow their allergies. Food intolerances are much more common. In fact, nearly everyone at one time has had an unpleasant reaction to something they ate. Some people have specific food intolerances. Lactose intolerance, the most common specific food intolerance, affects about 10 percent of Americans.
The two have overlapping symptoms. But, if you are intolerant to a food, it is mostly a digestive system response to stuff you cannot digest or digest well. If you are allergic to a food, the allergen triggers a response in the immune system.
Food Intolerance
Signs of intolerance according to WebMD: Physical responses usually comes on gradually, may only happen when you eat a lot of the food, may only happen if you eat the food often, and most importantly is not life-threatening.
The MayoClinic lists food intolerance issues:
- You may have an absence of an enzyme needed to fully digest a food (e.g. Lactose intolerance)
- Irritable bowel syndrome
- Sensitivity to food additives
- Recurring stress or psychological factors (where the mere thought of the food can make you ill)
- Celiac disease (gluten intolerance)
The AAAA&I has a virtual allergist you can use to help identify potential causes of allergic responses.
Food Allergies
“Allergies” is an actual immune response, that is, the body mistakes an ingredient in food (usually a protein) as harmful, and creates antibodies to fight it. WebMD states that 90% of the food allergies come from the items listed below (all links below are to WebMD details on these allergies).
Signs of an allergic response
Symptoms of discomfort come on suddenly and are very biological. Even very small amounts of the food can trigger a reaction. This reaction happens every time you eat the food. The concern, of course, is that allergies can be life-threatening (anaphylaxis) so take it seriously.
- Itchy, runny eyes
- Hives or a patch of itchy bumps
- Wheezing, coughing, shortness of breath
- Pain when swallowing
- Sinus, mouth or throat swelling
- Gastrointestinal issues like nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea
How to Know What You Have
Please speak with your doctor, nutritionist, or dietitian to determine if you have an allergy or an intolerance. Remember I am not an expert, just an opinionated, but well read, cook.
For Allergy, you need a clear treatment plan, understanding what is the trigger, and drugs to assist in controlling your response to accidentally ingesting the food.
For Intolerance, from my own experience, I used the trial and error approach to identify what I was reacting to and now avoid it when I can.
- Keep a food diary, listing all incidents to help identify the food allergy or intolerance
- Go on an elimination diet where you do not eat any suspect food and keep recording any problems.
- Slowly reintroduce foods until you hit the one that causes a reaction
- Bingo, you know what to avoid
–Patty
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News: ScienceDaily points to a study indicating our ability to focus may falter after eating only 1 meal that is high in saturated fat. Fatty food may feel like a friend during these troubled times, but new research suggests that eating just one meal high in saturated fat can hinder our ability to concentrate — not great news for people whose diets have gone south while they’re working at home during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Quote: Just one in five Americans would be willing to eat meat that was grown in a lab. Men express a greater willingness to do so than women, and college graduates are around three times as likely as those who have not attended college to say this is something they’d attempt. —Pew Research Internet Project summary of the “U.S. Views of Technology and the Future” questionnaire (April 17)
News: ScienceDaily reports that the availability of “local food sources,” is just a dream for many. A recent study shows that less than one-third of the world’s population could currently meet their demand for food produced in their local vicinity.
