DEFINITION

Asthma is a long-term inflammatory disease of the airways that causes episodes of reversible airway constriction and sensitivity that make breathing difficult and can cause shortness of breath, coughing, wheezing and tightness in the chest .

DESCRIPTION

Food is not a common trigger for Asthma. Only 2% of adults and 11% of children with Asthma have an attack because of certain foods. Foods can trigger Asthma attacks in vulnerable people as a result of food allergy or food intolerance.

Food allergy, which is also called food hypersensitivity, means that your immune system reacts strongly to certain foods as though they were toxic to the body. This can cause effects such as breathing difficulties and Asthma; itching, burning and swelling around the mouth; nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps and diarrhoea and skin irritation and rashes. Foods which commonly cause food allergy include:
- Shell fish (crustaceans) such as lobster, crab and prawn.
- Grains such as rye, wheat and oat.
- Molluscs such as oysters, scallops, mussells, clam, squid and octopus.
- Nuts, particularly peanuts.
- Soy products.

Food intolerance is more common than food allergy and causes very similar symptoms. Food intolerance is not caused by an immune system reaction, but a reaction to certain chemicals within food products. The main difference between food intolerance and food allergy is that the symptoms of food intolerance tend to take longer to occur after a person has consumed the food. The reactions caused by food allergy and food intolerance can be very serious but are avoidable if the Asthma sufferer identifies the cause of his or her reaction. Foods which commonly cause food intolerance include:
- Dairy products such as milk, cheese and yoghurt.
- Chocolate.
- Eggs, particularly the white portion of the egg. A number of different proteins in egg can cause Food intolerance.
- Chemical additives such as MSG (monosodium glutamate), tartrazine and other food dyes, benzoates (food and drug preservatives), aspartame (artificial sweeteners) and nitrates and nitrites (food preservatives).
- Foods containing sulfites and sulfiting agents. These include sulphur dioxide, sodium bisulfite, potassium bisulfite, sodium metabisulfite and sodium sulfite. These chemicals can occur naturally within certain foods or are added as part of food processing and preserving. Common sources include dried fruits or vegetables, pickled foods, wine and beer.
- Strawberries, citrus fruits and tomatoes. These fruits contain chemicals called salicylates which are thought to cause food intolerance in some people.

TREATMENT OPTIONS

The best way to avoid food-triggered Asthma is to avoid the food or food additive in the diet. Always read ingredient labels on food packages and learn to avoid the types of foods that contain certain chemical triggers for your Asthma.

Diagnostic tests for specific food allergies include skin and blood tests and oral food challenges. Oral food challenges involve small doses of the suspect food being given to the patient under medical supervision. Sometimes, adverse reactions to foods do not occur immediately after the food is eaten so that may be difficult to isolate the food or chemical that is triggering Asthma. Your Doctor may recommend that you keep a 'food and symptoms diary' to help identify any food triggers.

Do not remove foods from your normal diet without consulting your Doctor. A special diet for Asthma is not necessary unless medical tests have shown specific food triggers. Please refer to the Asthma and Diet topic for more information.

ORGANISATIONS and SUPPORT GROUPS

See the Asthma Australia topic on the Healthpoint.

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