How to Know Soy Allergy Symptoms
Around the world, many people enjoy eating and using products derived from the soy bean. Whether you're drinking soy milk or eating tofu, the health benefits of soy are plentiful. Despite this, there are numerous people who suffer from allergies to soy products. Soy milk, in particular, tends to cause allergy symptoms, primarily in infants. In light of this, parents and those who are susceptible to food allergies need to know the symptoms of soy allergy.Instructions
-
-
1
Read the ingredients of infant formula and baby foods carefully. Babies who have ongoing gastrointestinal upsets and colic in conjunction with skin conditions--such as rashes or eczema--may be having a reaction to soy protein. It is often added to infant formulas and foods.
-
2
Eliminate soy milk from your diet if you have inexplicable bouts of acne, angioedema (hives below the skin), a persistent runny/congested nose and diarrhea. While one or two of these symptoms in isolation may be signs of other, more transient conditions, the constellation of symptoms point toward a soy milk allergy.
-
3
Reduce your intake of other soy products if your symptoms persist or new ones develop. Other symptoms include canker sores, conjunctivitis, fever, fatigue/weakness, nausea and generalized itching.
-
4
Avoid ingesting products with soy flour or soy nuts. While you may wish to avoid tofu, another soy product, this fermented food is less likely to produce symptoms than other soy foods.
-
5
Speak to your doctor about having allergy testing done. There are specific blood and skin tests that can not only confirm a diagnosis of soy allergy, but help you know whether you have connected allergies as well. As part of the legume family, soy bean allergies often occur in conjunction with allergies to other types of nuts and beans.
-
6
Expect to outgrow or have a reduction in symptoms from your soy allergy. Since allergies are a histamine-based reaction to a specific antibody a food possesses, the symptoms increase with every exposure. With some foods, the antibodies can be reduced by eliminating the food from your diet. Children, in particular, are likely to outgrow the allergy if they stick to a strict soy-elimination diet for a few years.
-
1