No matter how much you like cheese, if you have an allergy to one or more of the ingredients in cheese, you will need to eliminate the food from your diet. The University of Maryland Medical Center states that about 4 to 8 percent of children and 2 percent of adults have a food-related allergy in the United States. Some rashes may be a sign of anaphylaxis, a severe allergic reaction that could cause life-threatening complications. Talk with your doctor and allergist to receive a diagnosis.
Allergic Skin Conditions
Rashes are one of the most common allergy symptoms. Your skin is the largest organ in your body and is directly affected by an allergic reaction. Allergic skin conditions cause increased blood flow to the surface of the skin, causing inflammation and irritation. A rash related to an allergic reaction after eating cheese will most likely cause a rash to develop on your face, but may form anywhere on your body. Common skin rashes associated with food allergies include hives, contact dermatitis and eczema, according to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology.
Milk Allergy
If your doctor has clinically diagnosed you with a milk allergy, avoid eating cheese. The main ingredient in cheese is milk, which can trigger a wide range of symptoms from consuming dairy products. Shortly after ingesting cheese your immune system mistakes the proteins in the product as a dangerous substance. This causes your body by overreacting and attacking the milk proteins. Immunoglobulin E antibodies and histamine work together to fight off the suspected allergen. Rashes may appear within a few minutes of eating cheese. If the rash progresses and continues to get worse, call your doctor immediately.
Treatment
Treating skin rashes after eating cheese needs to be determined by your doctor. Not all rashes are treated the same way. Avoiding dairy products is the most effective way to prevent skin rashes if you are allergic to dairy. Common treatments used if you accidentally consume cheese are oral antihistamines, topical steroid creams and anti-itch creams, according to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology and MayoClinic.com. If you develop a severe allergic reaction, you may need an injection of epinephrine to alleviate your symptoms.
Mold Consideration
Many cheeses contain mold, which could trigger an allergic reaction resulting in skin rashes, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Mold is typically classified with airborne allergies or seasonal allergies, but may also affect what you eat. The Cleveland Clinic states that mold may also be found in sour cream, sour milk and or buttermilk, which should be avoided.
