A meat allergy is an uncommon food allergy: Ninety percent of food allergies are related to soy, wheat, peanuts, fish, eggs, tree nuts and milk, according to MayoClinic.com. According to ABC News, the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology says that some people can form a meat allergy from certain carbohydrates and proteins found in some meat products. A meat allergy will cause similar symptoms as a general food allergy. If you develop unpleasant symptoms after eating meat, talk to your doctor.
Meat Allergy
Most food allergies are a hypersensitivity to the proteins found in the particular food. For example, if you're allergic to wheat, your immune system overreacts to gluten, a protein. If you have a meat allergy, your immune system might react to the proteins or certain carbohydrates in the meat, according to ABC News. Your body mistakes the proteins or carbohydrates as dangerous and unleashes an attack against them to protect the body. The defense system creates various chemicals, such as histamine and immunoglobulin E, or IgE, antibodies. These chemicals cause common food allergy symptoms.
Symptoms
Symptoms from a meat allergy can affect the digestive tract, the respiratory system and the skin, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Symptoms typically develop within a few minutes after consuming the meat, causing stomach pain, cramping, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. You also might develop nasal congestion or asthma from a meat allergy. Nasal congestion can cause a runny nose, stuffy nose, sinus pressure and sinus headaches. Asthma symptoms include wheezing, coughing, chest tightness and shortness of breath. The skin might react with a rash, such as hives or eczema.
Intolerance Consideration
Meat intolerance is more common than a meat allergy and commonly confused. About 25 percent of Americans believe they are allergic to a food when they actually are intolerant to certain proteins in foods, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Intolerance is a malfunction of the digestive system in which the intestines don't produce enough of the proper enzymes to digest proteins. This leads to similar gastric symptoms as an allergy, such as gas, bloating, diarrhea and vomiting. Only your doctor can provide a proper diagnosis.
Treatment
Treating a meat allergy begins with a clinical diagnosis. Once diagnosed, the most effective treatment is to avoid all meat products or products that contain meat protein. MayoClinic.com recommends using an antihistamine if you accidentally eat meat to treat minor allergy symptoms.
