Diarrhea After Eating Eggs

Do you suffer from diarrhea after eating eggs? Hmmm... now who remembers whether an egg was consumed before you had diarrhea! Further, who will believe that egg can be the cause of diarrhea? After all eggs are so good for our health. Then I must tell you that an egg can be the cause of diarrhea. This problem is known as egg sensitivity or egg allergy. Egg allergy is not just limited to diarrhea but it can be the cause of many other health conditions. Let us know more about this.

What Exactly is an Egg Allergy?
Eggs are definitely not bad for your health, but when you are allergic to them, your body thinks they are. If you are allergic to eggs, your body's immune system will overreact to the proteins in the egg. Eggs are made up of many proteins, but the four of them that cause the problems are ovomucoid, ovalbumin, ovotransferrin and lysozyme. These are found in egg white and to a lesser extent the egg yolk. Each time eggs or any food item consisting of egg enters your digestive system, your body will think that these proteins are harmful invaders, if you are allergic to eggs. Your immune system responds to this, by creating antibodies to that food. These antibodies that are designed to fight off the 'invader', trigger the release of certain chemicals into your body, one of which is histamine. So if you have an egg allergy and you consume food that contains eggs, the immune system unleashes an army of chemicals to protect your body. The release of these chemicals can affect the respiratory system, gastrointestinal tract, skin, and the cardiovascular system and lead to allergy symptoms.

Symptoms of Egg Allergy
You might experience many problems apart from diarrhea after eating eggs if you have an egg allergy. Egg allergy is similar to most food allergies and it usually happens within minutes to hours after eating eggs. Most of the reactions last for less than a day. Egg allergy symptoms on the skin can be in the form of red bumps, hives, redness and swelling around the mouth or eczema. Also your gastrointestinal tract may be affected in the form of belly cramps, nausea, vomiting or diarrhea after eating eggs. Symptoms of allergic reaction affecting the respiratory tract can range from a runny nose, itchy, watery eyes, and sneezing to the triggering of asthma with coughing and wheezing.

Is Diarrhea after Eating Eggs an Allergic Reaction?
If your doctor suspects that you have an allergy due to which you have diarrhea after eating eggs or any other digestive health problem, he or she will recommend you an allergy specialist for further testing. The allergy specialist will ask you questions like how often you have the reaction, the time it takes between eating a particular food and the start of the symptoms, and whether any of your family members have allergies. He might also perform a skin test on you which involves placing liquid extracts of egg protein on your forearm or back, pricking the skin a tiny bit, and waiting to see if a reddish, raised spot forms which will indicate an allergic reaction to eggs. Also a blood test might be done to check the allergy. However, positive results of skin and blood tests might not be enough to prove that the symptoms are definitely a cause of eating eggs.

Doctors may also use a 'food challenge' to diagnose the allergy. In a food challenge, you will be asked to avoid eggs or anything made with egg proteins for a certain period of time and after that, you will be asked to eat foods that contain eggs under close supervision from the doctor. If the symptoms come back after eating egg products, it is sure that you have an egg allergy.

Diarrhea after Eating Eggs: Remedy
If eggs are not amongst your fave foods, you might think that getting rid of egg allergy is simple if you just stop eating eggs. But there are so many foods that are made with eggs and egg products that it can be really difficult to know what to avoid and what not to. To get rid of the egg allergy and thus, the problem of diarrhea after eating eggs, you can consult a registered dietitian. The dietitian will help you develop an eating plan that will ensure that all the nutrients you need are consumed by you, while avoiding the things you are allergic to.

The best way to be sure whether a food item is egg free is to read the label on the packing. To confirm that the foods you eat are egg free, you will need to look out for any ingredient that might come from eggs. If you eat in a restaurant or at a friend's house, you can try to find out how foods are cooked and what are the ingredients. You can always lookout for egg-free alternatives to foods that usually contain eggs, such as pasta. Also, when cooking at home, carefully scrub the utensils used for making food items containing egg. If you have the problem of diarrhea after eating eggs, but you have already tested negative for the allergy test then probably the cause is eating raw or uncooked eggs. You must consult a doctor before taking any anti-diarrhea medicines. Read more on egg allergy substitutes to know about food items that can replace eggs.

Remember, living with an egg allergy is not a big pain, just a bit of an adjustment is required. If you experience the problem of diarrhea after eating eggs or any other egg allergy symptoms, keep a watch whether you experience the same problem the next time you have an egg. If this happens, you must consult a doctor for confirming the egg allergy and getting further treatment.