Food allergies are quite common today. However, even products that are not allergens can cause a problem. For example, quail eggs, doctors have different opinions about them. Some consider them absolutely safe, while others consider them downright harmful.
Allergy to quail eggs has become a real problem for humanity today. A lot of people today notice that they have negative reactions in their body. This happens after eating quail eggs.
To fully understand the problem, you need to know the root cause of the disease and symptoms. This knowledge makes it possible to protect yourself and your family from many possible problems.
What's the best way to use it?
Of course, all the most beneficial substances are contained in the raw product, and cooking or frying destroys many macroelements. But since quail eggs are cooked quickly, the vitamins and amino acids do not have time to completely dissolve. That is why athletes are advised to eat quail protein after training - it helps build muscle mass.
Quail eggs are a dietary product, so it is not advisable to eat them with fatty foods or cook them in large amounts of oil.
The exception is holiday dishes, where this product is needed solely for taste and not for benefit.
Ideally, you need to eat, or rather, drink them raw in the morning half an hour before meals. This will help you wake up, improve digestion and activate mental activity.
But......isn't this dangerous?
Salmonellosis is an infection that is feared by all those who refuse to drink raw eggs. And they are undoubtedly right. Any chicken or other bird that has had this disease infects its eggs, and once salmonella enters the human body, it causes serious complications.
Symptoms and signs of an allergic reaction
As a rule, any food allergy is characterized by hives. It occurs when ovomucoid, a substance contained in protein, enters the child’s body.
Hives do not appear on the child’s body immediately after he has eaten the testicle, but after a certain period of time, but exceptions are possible.
Hives on a baby’s skin occur as a response to an allergen; the blood produces substances that are unable to protect the body.
The following signs will help parents recognize an egg white allergy:
- Eczema.
- Hives.
- Redness and itching of the skin.
- Nausea.
- Vomit.
- Diarrhea.
- Rhinitis.
- Fainting.
- Labored breathing.
- Dizziness.
If you do not pay attention to the above signs and do not seek the help of an allergist, complications may arise, namely neurodermatitis, Quincke's edema, bronchial asthma, anaphylactic shock, leading to death.
Read also:
- how to boil quail eggs
But quails rarely suffer from salmonellosis. Why? Their body temperature is 4 degrees higher than that of other birds and amounts to 42 °C, and salmonella bacteria simply do not survive in such conditions. Moreover, quails do not like to be close to their relatives, which reduces the risk of the spread of salmonellosis among the brood. Therefore, cases of this infection have not been recorded on small farms, from which we can conclude:
It is better to buy quail eggs bred not in large factories, but from private farmers with small farms.
Another important point is that before making yourself a healthy cocktail, the eggs must be thoroughly washed with warm water and dipped in vinegar. This simple technique will kill pathogenic bacteria that live on the shell and make consumption even safer.
And yet, despite all the precautions, it is not recommended to give raw eggs to children under three years of age, since there is a high probability that their body will not absorb this product in this form.
Health benefits of quail eggs
Even if quail eggs for allergies are not effective enough for you, you can continue to eat them to reap the health benefits. This natural product contains:
- a large number of proteins rich in essential amino acids;
- vitamins A and B;
- phosphorus, potassium, iron, copper and cobalt.
It is noteworthy that the concentration of all these substances in quail eggs is much higher than in chicken eggs. Therefore, this product has beneficial properties. It strengthens bone tissue, has a beneficial effect on the functioning of the heart, stomach and pancreas, liver and kidneys.
Keep in mind that after 15 minutes of heat treatment, all beneficial compounds will evaporate. Therefore, to get maximum benefits, eat eggs raw with juice or water.
The benefits of eggs for children
To ensure that your child grows healthy and strong, and that his body receives the substances necessary for development, you can regularly give him quail eggs. At the age of 1 to 3 years, 1 - 2 pieces will be enough. per day; from 3 to 10 years - 3 pcs., from 10 to 18 years - 4 pcs.
The benefits of eggs for pregnant women
Quail eggs help replenish the deficiency of nutrients during pregnancy, alleviate the condition of the expectant mother, and eliminate signs of toxicosis.
Quail eggs for beauty
Quail eggs are used not only internally, but also externally. In particular, they are good for healthy hair. The natural mass is prepared with the addition of honey and olive oil.
General strengthening properties of quail eggs
The beneficial properties of quail eggs were described above. Therefore, it is advisable to use them from time to time for prevention. The average norm for an adult is 5 eggs per day. To improve your well-being and improve the functioning of your vital organs, drink them raw for a month, and then take a break for at least 2 weeks. You can also introduce quail eggs into your regular diet as additives to cereals, side dishes, soups, and salads. This product is not only healthy, but also tasty.
Whether quail eggs help against allergies is a controversial issue. Therefore, if you need a fast-acting remedy, it is better to stop self-medicating and seek qualified help from a doctor. But as a preventative and restorative remedy, a quail egg can be used with almost no restrictions.
Who benefits from raw eggs?
Contrary to the established stereotype, quail eggs are eaten not only by people who want to improve their health, but also by many adherents of a healthy lifestyle. Starting their morning with exercise and a quail cocktail is a matter of habit for them. But it is worth remembering that only fresh products are useful, and therefore there is no point in purchasing packages of eggs in reserve.
Well, for those who have problems with the stomach or intestines (ulcers, gastritis, morning sickness), heart, memory or immunity, quail eggs are simply necessary.
Symptoms of allergy to quail eggs
In most cases, the human body reacts immediately to the arrival of an allergen. That is, signs appear immediately after consuming this product.
But each person is individual, so you can notice allergic reactions after a couple of hours. The speed at which symptoms appear also depends on the number of eggs eaten. It matters in what form the product was used.
Manifestations of the disease:
- nausea, vomiting, bloating;
- headaches and dizziness;
- fainting;
- skin rashes;
- eczema;
- anaphylactic shock and Quincke's edema.
The latter reactions are the most dangerous, as they can be fatal. Therefore, you need to be extremely careful when consuming a new product.
As soon as signs of an allergy are noticed, you should immediately consult a doctor. This is the only way to find out the main cause of the problem and prescribe appropriate treatment. This should only be done by a specialist; self-medication, at best, may simply be useless. At worst it will lead to serious problems.
In children, this problem may disappear on its own over time. You just need to exclude quail eggs from your diet for a while. Monitoring by an allergist and pediatrician is necessary. They will determine when the baby can be given eggs little by little again.
If adults are allergic to this product, first of all it is also necessary to completely abandon such food. In addition, do not forget that the problem can be hereditary.
Is there a high risk of poisoning?
You can be poisoned by any expired product, and quail eggs are no exception. Regardless of whether they were cooked or eaten raw, if the temperature regime was not previously observed or the eggs were too old, then the risk of poisoning is high.
To avoid poisoning, you need to read the information on the packaging about the packaging date of the product, and before eating, rinse it individually under running water and dip it in vinegar for a while - this will destroy bacteria that may live on the surface of the shell.
Treatment of allergy to quail eggs
The first thing a person can do before contacting a doctor is to rinse the stomach and take activated charcoal. Afterwards, be sure to visit a medical facility. Tell your doctor about the symptoms you are experiencing.
In severe cases, it is necessary to call an ambulance, as adrenaline may be needed. If a person suffers from other allergic diseases, then this drug, in any case, should be in his first aid kit.
The main treatment is prescribed only by a specialist, taking into account both symptoms and other factors. Therapy may be prescribed to improve enzyme metabolism. In most cases, antihistamines are also prescribed.
Prevention measures
If you are allergic to quail eggs, you should follow certain rules to avoid an acute reaction of the body. First, you should completely eliminate this product from your diet. You should also minimize protein intake as such, as this can also trigger symptoms. It is necessary to exclude the consumption of such products:
- pasta;
- vermicelli;
- mayonnaise;
- baking;
- dairy products;
- ice cream.
When purchasing, you should pay attention to the composition of the product, since protein can be called by other words:
Oddly enough, there is an opinion that allergy sufferers can eat quail eggs in small quantities. The allergy depends precisely on the large dose of protein consumed.
Other preventive measures:
- When vaccinating a child, be sure to inform the doctor about allergies.
- If an allergy sufferer is a child, it is necessary to warn teachers at school about his illness.
- For boiling eggs and products containing protein, you should have separate dishes. Allergy sufferers should not come into contact with it.
- Carefully study the composition of not only food products, but also cosmetics, shampoos, creams.
- Stick to a diet that should include: fresh fruits and vegetables, cereals, soups cooked with beef. You should be careful with poultry, sausage, baked goods, honey, spices, citrus fruits, and nuts.
Allergy sufferers need to lead a special lifestyle. It is possible that an allergy may develop to other foods or pollen. Therefore, it is recommended to follow the rules of hygiene, wet clean the room daily, and exercise.
How to eat eggs correctly during lactation
- Use only boiled eggs! The raw product contains the Salmonella microbe, which leads to intestinal disease, blood poisoning and even typhus;
- Before eating, wash food thoroughly with soap;
- The first time, boil for at least ten minutes, quail for at least a minute;
- Eggs can be introduced into the diet of a nursing mother at least a month after the birth of the baby. If you are allergic to cow protein, you can try introducing the product into the menu after the baby turns four months old;
- Start with ⅓ yolk and only then add the white;
- At first, use the product only in boiled form. After a month, you can eat stew and poached meat.
- The maximum daily dosage is four quail eggs and one chicken. Weekly - eight quail and two chicken.
To prepare a soft-boiled egg, it will take three minutes after the water boils. For hard-boiled cooking – eight minutes after boiling. To add variety to your menu, use eggs for salads and omelettes. They also go well with chicken broth.
Definition, mechanism of occurrence
Egg allergy —
an atypical reaction of the body's immune system to proteins (proteins) contained in eggs. Basically, human immunity produces a non-standard reaction to the following types of egg white: ovomucoid, ovalbumin, ovotransferrin, lysozyme.
Egg allergy
Useful fact: almost all egg proteins, with the exception of ovomucoid, are destroyed during heat treatment. Therefore, some people, even with a diagnosed allergy to chicken protein, can still eat eggs - boiled, fried, in omelets or in baked goods - without negative consequences for their health.
Allergy to chicken protein is more common than intolerance to yolk, which consists mainly of fat. But the yolk also contains a substance that can provoke negative reactions from the immune system - this is alpha-livetin.
Interestingly, in most cases people have an intolerance to either the yolk or the white, and not to eggs in general. Therefore, people with an allergy to chicken protein can safely eat yolks and vice versa. The main thing is to accurately identify the substance that provokes an atypical immune reaction during diagnosis.
Causes
Like all other types of allergic reactions, egg allergies occur because the immune system mistakenly recognizes the proteins as pathogens that are potentially dangerous to the health of the organs and systems of the human body. It begins to actively synthesize immunoglobulin antibodies and the hormone histamine, which causes the appearance of characteristic signs of allergies.
Egg allergy most often manifests itself in early childhood and is usually caused by two reasons:
- Early and incorrect introduction of chicken protein into a child’s complementary feeding;
- The mother's consumption of a large number of eggs during lactation.
The risks of developing an egg allergy in an infant are high because both the baby’s immunity and his digestive system are not yet fully developed. As the child grows older, the stomach will begin to synthesize those enzymes that are required for high-quality protein absorption, and then the allergy to chicken eggs will go away.
In adults, intolerance to egg yolk and white is less common, but there is a negative reaction from the immune system - you will have to live with it all your life, carefully monitor your diet and, of course, carry out effective therapy and prevention.
Expert opinion
Lapinskaya Lyudmila Alekseevna
Pulmonologist of the highest category at the Moscow Health Clinic on Tretyakovskaya
Egg allergy is unpleasant because it is cross-reactive. That is, if there is a negative reaction to chicken protein, then there is a high risk that there is an allergy to quail, duck and goose eggs, as well as to meat, down and feathers of poultry, because they contain the same type of protein - irritant.
Clinical signs of the disease
Symptoms: urticaria, itching
Clinical symptoms of food allergy:
- Mild local reaction: itching of the palate and tongue, lacrimation, sneezing, profuse nasal discharge.
- Allergic skin dermatitis: urticaria, atopic dermatitis, Quincke's edema.
- Gastrointestinal reactions (inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract).
- Severe systemic reactions.
- Anaphylaxis.
It is generally accepted that food allergies most often affect the gastrointestinal tract, skin and respiratory tract. These manifestations are usually considered obvious signs. Often other organs and systems become “shocked” for the development of allergic inflammation: cardiovascular, nervous, hematopoietic, urinary, articular.
When the gastrointestinal tract becomes inflamed, damage occurs at any level. Therefore, the clinical variants of lesions are characterized by significant diversity: from the mildest to the most severe forms. This may include nausea, loss of appetite, vomiting, severe abdominal pain, flatulence, occult blood in the stool, loose stools with discharge of glassy mucus, diarrhea, constipation and other disorders.
Atopic dermatitis most often affects children. The course of the disease depends on age, hormonal levels, and characteristics of the immune response. The following clinical forms of the disease are distinguished:
- In young children with mild initial manifestations: severe redness, small nodules, dry scaly skin. Severely itchy rashes are localized on the elbows, the back of the hands, the posterolateral surfaces of the neck and in the popliteal fossae.
- In adults: severe redness of the skin, on inflamed areas - large nodules covered with scales, swelling. Inflamed lesions are localized on the skin of the neck, upper third of the chest and back, elbow and popliteal folds, hands and feet. Severe itching leads to secondary infection.
- Limited areas of skin lesions, mainly in the area of the hands, with the presence of many nodules, dry crusts, cracks and peeling.
The main symptom of urticaria is the formation of blisters due to local swelling of the papillary dermis due to the developed increase in vascular permeability. In 50% of cases, urticaria is accompanied by angioedema, which is swelling of the deeper layers of the skin.
Chicken egg whites with almost equal frequency are the cause of the development of symptoms of all clinical manifestations. Egg proteins are often responsible for the development of hives and eczema, and in some cases, anaphylaxis.
Drug treatment
For anaphylactic shock
If eating eggs causes anaphylactic shock in a patient, experts prescribe:
- Dexamethasone or Prednisolone (intravenously or intramuscularly);
- Adrenaline (subcutaneous) up to 3 times a day;
- Suprastin (intramuscular);
- diuretics for Quincke's edema.
Subsequently, cleansing of the body is carried out using antihistamine therapy and sorbents.
Medicines for internal use
Various medications are used to treat egg allergies:
Antihistamines:
- First generation: Suprastin, Diphenhydramine, Diazolin, Tavegil. Their use is recommended 3-4 times a day, since their effect is designed for a short period. These medications are sedatives and almost always cause drowsiness.
- Second generation: based on the drug Loratadine (Clarin, Lorano), Cetirizine (Zyrtec, Zodak, Cetrin) or Fenistil. They are taken once a day; they have a long-lasting, therapeutic effect that persists even 5-7 days after the end of therapy.
- Third generation: drugs based on Fexofenadine, Astemizole or Desloratadine. These drugs do not have a negative effect on the central nervous system; they are prescribed once a day.
Sorbents:
- Activated carbon;
- Polysorb;
- Enterosgel.
Prescribed by specialists to quickly remove the allergen from the body.
Medicines for external use
If an allergy to eggs and products containing them manifests itself in the form of weeping eczema or a rash, topical products are prescribed.
Anti-inflammatory drugs:
- Zinc ointment;
- Sudocrem;
- Elidel;
- Skin cap.
Corticosteroids (hormonal drugs):
- Elokom;
- Hydrocortisone ointment;
- Celestoderm;
- Cutivate;
- Lorinden;
- Sinaflan;
- Lokoid;
- Fluorocort;
- Advantan.
The drugs are used externally for 5-7 days. If such products are prescribed to a child, preference should be given to creams and lotions with a low concentration of the active substance. In some cases, the product will have to be diluted with baby cream.
Combined drugs:
When a secondary infection occurs, medications containing a hormone and an antibiotic are prescribed:
- Kremgen;
- Celederm;
- Hyoxyzone.
The name of the drug, dosage, and treatment period are prescribed by a dermatologist or allergist after consultation.