Almost everyone in this planet knows what chocolate is and how tasteful it is. Chocolates are one of the many foods that can lift up the mood of a person because it contains tryptophan what causes euphoria. It is a common gift given to loved ones during Valentine’s Day or on any romantic occasion. Some people tend to eat chocolates everyday while there are some who just can’t take varieties of chocolates because of allergies. What are the chocolate allergy symptoms?
Chocolate allergies are possible but rare. People who are allergic to chocolate do not mean that they could not eat chocolates for the rest of their lives. Allergic reactions to chocolates may be attributed to some chemicals or ingredients of the chocolates and not the chocolate itself. With that, people who tend to react after eating chocolates should know what ingredient they are allergic to so that they can get rid of it and eat only chocolate products without such ingredient.
The main ingredient of chocolate is cocoa. Cocoa is obtained from cocoa beans which are processed in chocolate factories to produce the chocolate that we see in the supermarket today. Cocoa can cause of allergy to some people but not all the time. Other ingredients of chocolates that may trigger allergic reactions to some consumers are as follows: gluten, milk, nuts, soy, dyes and artificial flavorings. These extra ingredients are added to the cocoa to give it a distinct color and taste.
Chocolate Allergy Symptoms
Chocolate allergy symptoms are similar to symptoms of other food allergies which are headache, difficulty in breathing, skin rash and heart burn.
- Headaches as a chocolate allergy symptom is described as sharp headaches. This is primarily brought about by the cocoa content of chocolates. However, it should be investigated well if chocolate intake is the primary cause of this symptom, because headaches have many other possible causes.
- Difficulty of breathing is the most life threatening chocolate allergic symptoms. Wheezing may also he heard upon breathing for some. When this is experienced, immediate medical attention should be sought so to receive appropriate medicines. For severe difficulty of breathing, intravenous epinephrine works best because it rapidly goes into the blood and stops the allergic reaction.
- Hives or petechial rashes may be observed for those with allergic reactions to chocolates. These rashes are very itchy and scratching them over and over again could cause little wounds on the skin.
- Heartburn is a minor symptom of chocolate allergy which is described as reflux of acid contents of the stomach. Antacids may work well for this symptom.
These are some of the symptoms of chocolate allergy. The best way to get rid of these symptoms is to get rid of chocolate ingredients that cause these symptoms.
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