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The One Two Punch of a Yeast Allergy |
 As a health problem, allergies can be a health issue that may be the most difficult to cope with. While most allergy symptoms are not dangerous, they can be very distressing and even interrupt your activities and make you feel very sick indeed.
Allergies are unrelenting. It isn't like you might have an allergy to something one day and the next day, things will be fine. An allergy happens with every exposure to the allergen that bothers you and it never goes away. When you are allergic to something common in life, that means you must constantly be thinking about your allergy instead of about things that are much important in life like home, family, job and friends.
Food allergies fit this model because some of the most common and popular foods are also the ones that most frequently cause food allergies. And among food allergies, a yeast allergy brings its own one two punch. That one two punch are difficult and sometimes dangerous yeast allergy symptoms and how difficult it is to get yeast out of your diet entirely.
The medical term for yeast is candida albicans and this kind of yeast is an important part of how our bodies work. All of us have some amount of candida albicans in our bodies right now because this fungus is used by the digestive system to keep things working right as we process our foods. The natural yeast in the body is often present in the intestines, the mouth as well as the rectum and vagina of women. So when the body develops an allergy to yeast that is already active in the internal workings of the body, this can become a serious problem for a yeast allergy sufferer. When that happens, the natural consumption of yeast in food or drink only makes the problem worse.
The severity of the symptoms of a yeast allergy vary from person to person. Those yeast allergy symptoms might include severe headaches, a skin rash that resembles hives, body aches, abdominal gas becoming irritable, sinus infections, anxiety, fatigue, earaches, depression and swelling around the mouth, tongue or throat. That swelling is of particular concern because if it progresses to a severe yeast allergy reaction, the swelling could close off the breathing passages and become life threatening. That is why if you have a yeast allergy, decisive and dramatic changes must be taken to avoid further aggravation of that yeast allergy because the symptoms will get worse with each new episode.
Along with the harsh yeast allergy symptoms, the other side of the "one two punch" of a yeast allergy is that it is very difficult to root out of your diet every possible source of yeast. The obvious culprits to target first are breads and all alcoholic beverages. It isn't enough to only eliminate beer or wine from your beverage diet. Yeast is used or is a byproduct of the development of all alcoholic beverages. So if you have a yeast allergy, you will have to go on the wagon for good.
But these two categories of food are not the only sources of yeast in your diet. Sugar and carbohydrates can also produce yeast so they should be avoided. Also, refined foods plus many meats and mushrooms can introduce yeast to your system, which can trigger the symptoms of a yeast allergy. Any food that is the result of molding such as cheeses and many dairy products will also have to be avoided as well. Since these categories are broad, it almost seems like a yeast allergy makes it almost impossible to eat.
Your doctor can help you put together a diet that will give you the basic nutrition you need while avoiding all forms of yeast in the diet. You may find that your diet will consist primarily of fresh vegetables and simple proteins. Many people who must live on a very restrictive diet because of a yeast allergy also lose weight because the diet eliminate so many foods that contribute to weight gain. That is a side benefit to a yeast free diet that can serve to make this big lifestyle change more acceptable.
As soon as you suspect you have a yeast allergy problem, you should seek medical help before those symptoms become severe. If your yeast allergy symptoms are quite harsh, your doctor can help you with medications and other measures to help you learn to live with this difficult allergy problem. But don't delay going to see your doctor because the faster you take action, the better chance you will have of taking control over a yeast allergy problem in your life.
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