Meat allergy – causes, symptoms & therapy

Meat allergies are very rare, but a person can generally have an allergic reaction to the sugar molecules contained in meat. About 20 allergens are generally found in meat, but not every type of meat contains the same allergens. So it can happen that with a meat allergy, poultry is not tolerated, but red meat types are. However, there is also a meat allergy to all types of meat.

Since meat is consumed as food, the allergic reactions are particularly dangerous and can include rapid onset of shortness of breath with respiratory arrest. Meat allergies are not easy to diagnose as symptoms can appear hours after consumption and it is sometimes not clear what type of meat the patient is reacting to.

Another peculiarity of the meat allergy is that the person reacts to a sugar molecule and not to a protein as is usually the case. Every other allergy is the immune system overreacting to a protein.

causes

Meat allergy sufferers seem to react most frequently to the sugar molecule a-Gal. It is found in many types of meat, but humans cannot produce it themselves, so the body sometimes classifies it as a pathogen – and not as the harmless substance it actually is.From a scientific point of view, the meat allergy is a very special type of allergy. Symptoms appear hours after contact and the allergy is to a sugar molecule rather than a protein as is normally the case.

Until now, it was assumed that allergies could only be triggered by proteins and intolerances by sugar. However, the meat allergy is not to be classified as an intolerance, it is a real allergy.

When to the doctor?

As with any allergy, if a meat allergy is suspected, a doctor should be consulted immediately, who will make the diagnosis and test for other allergies at the same time. However, the meat allergy is a special case in that it is extremely rare and many sufferers do not even realize that they are allergic at all. It is therefore not uncommon for those affected to live with an undiagnosed meat allergy for years and get symptoms every time they eat it.

If characteristic symptoms occur, a doctor should also be consulted, since other reasons than the meat allergy can of course trigger them. Most likely, there is no allergy, because it is not yet widespread. For your own protection, you should not eat any more meat until the medical examination, even if different types have been well tolerated so far.

In the case of a meat allergy, it may be that some types of meat can still be eaten without any problems, while others trigger symptoms – but only a doctor can be sure. Although severe courses are very rare, as with any allergy, it can happen that the body unexpectedly reacts particularly violently to allergens in meat and thus gets into a life-threatening crisis or an anaphylactic shock occurs the next time it comes into contact with meat .

symptoms and course

Typical symptoms:

• wheals

• skin redness

• shortness of breath

• itchy skin

Hours after eating meat, the patient with a meat allergy gets severe itching on the skin. It also often leads to the formation of red wheals, which are typical of allergic reactions. Such reactions occur again and again without any recognizable reason, because the patient himself does not think that this could be due to the consumption of meat. Even some medicines contain the sugar molecule a-Gal, which triggers meat allergies – which can be life-threatening for the patient.

In the worst case, the meat allergy leads to breathing difficulties through contact with allergens, including acute shortness of breath and respiratory arrest, since the mucous membranes of the mouth and throat swell so much that the patient can no longer breathe independently.

In rare cases of particularly severe reactions, this ends in the death of the allergy sufferer. The meat allergy does not appear from birth, but occurs for the first time in the course of life. It is assumed that tick bites trigger the sensitization of the immune system in the first place through a substance contained in tick saliva.

Diagnose

A meat allergy is diagnosed using the skin prick test . A small area of ​​skin is marked and the suspected allergen is applied to the previously scratched skin. Alternatively, it is attached to a fine needle that is used to pierce the skin. This procedure is completely painless. The patient is not allowed to wash the skin area for some time afterwards, so that the doctor can tell at the next appointment whether any allergic reactions have occurred. There is now also a modern blood test for detecting meat allergies , which can replace the prick method and can diagnose at least as thoroughly as this.

complications

Eating meat despite a meat allergy can lead to serious complications. Those affected usually feel typical allergy symptoms such as gastrointestinal complaints, skin inflammation and cold symptoms. Depending on how much meat has been consumed, these symptoms can have serious health consequences. Rarely does an allergic shock occur, which can lead to a fall and physical injuries. Since the meat allergy only occurs hours after consumption, those affected cannot always identify a clear cause. This can lead to allergic reactions and a steady decrease in general well-being.

Those affected often make misdiagnoses that make it difficult to treat the allergy. The allergy test itself can also have complications. An anaphylactic shock can occur and there is restlessness, itching, a rash, dizziness and other symptoms. In severe cases, a shock reaction can lead to loss of consciousness and respiratory and circulatory arrest. There can also be further complications with a meat allergy due to incorrect test results.

treatment and therapy

Unfortunately, the desensitization that works with other allergies does not work with meat allergies. After all, it is the only allergy that is based on a sugar molecule instead of a protein. However, desensitization would be the only permanent way of curing allergies, so the meat allergy itself cannot be cured. Once diagnosed, it will accompany the allergy sufferer for a lifetime.

So the most effective treatment is to avoid meats that carry the allergen. Meat from mammals, such as beef, pork or horse, is particularly risky.