Foods that cause gas, bloating and skipped heartbeats are foods that trigger an allergic reaction. If foods cause just gas and bloating, you may have food intolerance, but if you develop irregular heartbeats, you are experiencing a food allergy. Food allergies can cause minor to severe reactions throughout your body that can affect your respiratory system, digestive tract, cardiovascular system and your skin. Call you doctor as soon as you develop these symptoms and avoid trigger foods.
Food Allergy
Food allergies are less common than most people think. About 25 percent of people who believe they have a food allergy actually are intolerant to certain foods, not allergic, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Food allergies affect about 3 to 4 percent of American adults, according to MayoClinic.com. Food allergies are a serious medical condition because they can lead to a severe reaction that could end in death. Stop eating all foods that cause adverse reactions throughout your body until you can be seen by your health care provider.
Cause
The function of your immune system is to defend the body from acquiring infectious organisms, such as toxins, viruses or bacteria. When you eat a food that causes an allergy, your immune system responds to a substance that is considered harmless as if it is a threat. Allergy symptoms occur because of the production of immunoglobulin E antibodies after you ingest an allergen. IgE antibodies cause a release of histamine in soft tissues, which causes inflammation and constriction. The most common foods that trigger an allergic reaction include fish, tree nuts, peanuts, dairy, eggs, soy and wheat, according to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology.
Gas, Bloating and Skipped Heartbeats
Digestive symptoms are common with food allergies and typically develop within minutes of eating foods that trigger the reaction. Inflammation that develops in your gastrointestinal system will cause gas, bloating, diarrhea, abdominal pain and nausea. Skipped heartbeats is a concerning symptoms because it is commonly associated with a severe allergic reaction called anaphylaxis. Other symptoms that may develop from cardiovascular reactions include dizziness, light-headedness, a faint pulse and a drop in blood pressure.
Identification
Your doctor may recommend that you keep a food journal to help identify which foods are triggering these symptoms. Once you and your doctor identify the potential allergy foods, you will be tested to see which foods cause your body to create immunoglobulin E antibodies. The most common ways of testing for food allergies include a skin patch test and blood tests.
