Allergy to Eggs
An allergy to eggs is fairly common amongst young children. Most kids who are allergic to eggs will outgrow it by the time they are seven. There are a small number of people who will continue to be allergic to eggs as adults. In general an egg allergy is easier to deal with than other food allergies but you will still need to be careful.
Egg allergies are far more common in children than in adults. The vast majority of children with egg allergies will outgrow them. An allergy to eggs can be caused by either the yolk or the whites although allergies to egg whites are more common. It is the protein that causes the allergy. In some cases people who are allergic to chicken eggs will be allergic to other types of eggs. In a few rare cases a child with an allergy to eggs will also be allergic to chicken. This is quite rare but there is one protein shared between the chicken and the egg that may result in an allergy to both.
In most cases people with an egg allergy will develop eczema if they are exposed to eggs. A rash or hives are also quite common. There are a small percentage of people who will develop anaphylaxis if they are exposed to eggs. If you are one of those people who develops anaphylaxis as the result of exposure to eggs you are going to need to carry an EpiPen with you since this is the normal treatment. Other than that the most common way to deal with an egg allergy is to avoid them.
In general it isn’t that hard to avoid eggs since they aren’t as widely used as other products that people are commonly allergic to like soy or milk. The most likely place that you are going to encounter eggs in a food product is in baked goods. Some sauces will also use eggs as thickeners while other products will use eggs as a binder. Some ice creams will use eggs, especially if it is labeled old fashioned ice cream. Foods that have eggs in them will be clearly labeled as such since this is required by law.
One area of potential concern for people who are allergic to eggs is flu shots. Eggs are used to make flu shots so if you are allergic to eggs you may not be able to get one. Before administering a flu shot a skin test will be administered to determine if you are allergic or not. If you are allergic your doctor will need to decide if it is worth the risk based on how severe the allergy and how serious getting the flu would be in your case. Eggs are only use in making flu vaccines they are not used in making flu treatments so if you do get the flu you can take the treatment if you are allergic to eggs.