Rice is considered one of the least likely grains to cause allergic hypersensitivity that will lead to a rice allergy. Getting an allergy to rice is not common but when it does occur it is usually with children who have not been exposed to rice or rice products before. With a global trade economy however, billions of people who otherwise would not necessarily have eaten rice as part of their diet, are now consuming rice. This has led to a development of individuals with a rice allergy. Thus knowing the symptoms and treatment options for rice allergy has become very important.
Rice is the primary staple in the diet of several countries where overpopulation has led to a dependence on it for daily caloric needs. It is also a food that has a great deal of nutritional benefits, is economical, and grows in areas where other types of grains will not. Once dried, rice is an easily portable food source as well. Rice has become a very popular ingredient in many dishes worldwide. The USA and Europe though aren’t that dependent on rice and as a result the amount of people with rice allergies are quite small relative to other nations like Japan who has a a great food dependency on rice. Actually a rice allergy is more common in dogs than in humans as it is found in most dog foods. These foods need to be avoided if your dog has an allergic reaction.
Rice Allergy Symptoms
An allergy to rice can present itself even after you may have consumed rice several times and had no symptoms. Many people do not consider rice to pose a threat as an allergen; however more and more people are developing intolerance to it.
Common symptoms include:
- Symptoms includes shortness of breath that can be mild or progress to a life threatening inability to breathe, almost like an allergy induced asthma.
- flatulence
- skin rash
Mild allergy symptoms
Mild allergy symptoms can occur at any age and may worsen with each subsequent exposure to rice. Typically those who have a white rice allergy, find brown rice causes similar reactions and must be avoided.
- a distended abdomen (stomach)
- nausea/vomiting
- loose stools
- The oral (mouth) tissues that come in contact with ingested (eaten) rice may swell as well.
The edema (swelling) must be monitored to ensure an allergy doesn’t cause shortness of breath from inflammation and swelling of the trachea (windpipe) or epiglottis (flap to prevent food from entering the lungs).
Severe Symptoms
The severe symptoms can be very dangerous and even life threatening. Severe symptoms occur when the allergy causes shortness of breath to the point a person cannot obtain adequate oxygen to support bodily functions.
- It could start with a shortness of breath or difficulty in breathing which is caused by the swelling of the tongue or larynx.
- Along with this a rapid drop in blood pressure and a fast pulse rate could result.
This problem will only get worse and will result in anaphylactic shock and can be fatal if emergency medical treatment is not found. The person may stop breathing completely due to swelling of the airway. This is a medical emergency and medical personnel should be summoned immediately. First aid measures should be taken. If the person has any type of injection to counter act the allergy allergen, it should be given. A physician’s assistance will be required to handle this situation.
Become Allergy Free With This Guide
Causes Of Rice Allergy
With rice now distributed all over the world more people are getting exposed to this easy food source and the result has been more allergic reactions to rice and rice products. The cause of an allergic reaction and a causes of rice allergy are the immune system response which cannot process the antigen correctly. This is usually caused by the protein part of the rice as the body cannot break the strong bonds in the protein. As with all food allergies it is the result of your immune system response that cannot handle the food you have ingested and produces anti-bodies in order to solve this problem which is called an antigen. After enough antibodies have been produced by the body to solve this problem your body becomes sensitized to this antigen and the next time that rice is consumed the reaction could be worse.
Rice allergy is one of the few allergies that affect adults more than children and the signs and symptoms of this disease can be many different forms. They can range from general eye irritation or water in the eyes as well as itchiness to shortness of breath which can lead to anaphylactic shock and death so you need to be careful if you have been positively diagnosed as having an allergy to rice.
Ingesting Rice and/or Rice Derivatives
It is said that the more you are exposed to a food source the more chance you have of getting an allergy to it. The result is that in Japan alone more than 10% of the population suffers from an allergy to rice and its products. For the most part rice allergy is caused by ingesting rice and/or rice derivatives in food. Fortunately, food containing rice has it clearly labeled on the packaging. So it should be easily avoidable if you inspect the food products you buy. But sometimes there are some foods where it is more difficult to spot that they do contain rice and this is usually due to the foods containing rice flour. Keep an eye out for certain types of noodles, including rice noodles. Also spring rolls and sweated meats could also contain rice flour.
Foods that have rice in them include:
- Sorghum
- Millet
- Quinoa
- Cornmeal
- Buckwheat
- There are many others which will be displayed on the contents on the packaging.
But there are many other foods that you need to be careful of. The reason is that you will no doubt be sensitive to these grains as they are very similar to rice.
These foods include:
- Barley
- Wheat
- Corn
- Soybean
- Triticale
- Oats
- Rye
Rice Pollen
Although we mainly hear of rice allergies due to the ingesting of rice, it does sometimes happen that people are allergic to rice pollen. Humans get an allergic reaction to rice pollen which is only around you if you live near rice fields but you would know already if you were allergic to pollen as it is very uncommon in the western world. Due to that fact it is normally not a great concern for most people, but people living or working close to rice fields should take note of this form of rice allergy.
Cosmetic Products
There are quite a few cosmetic products that contain rice derivatives. If you are allergic to rice then theses creams and lotions could cause an allergic reaction. But once again this should be easily avoidable by checking the product label before purchasing and applying it to your skin.
Prevention Is Better Than Cure
Check any products you may apply to the skin (such as lotions and cosmetics) for rice or rice derivatives. This will decrease the likelihood of causing a skin rice allergy; which occurs when the skin inflames itself (via histamine) to ward off and get rid of the offensive allergen by flushing it with cell fluid (swelling/rash).- Check your cupboards for any food that contains rice or rice derivatives and get rid of them.
- If you decide to still use rice in your home even when someone is allergic, then separate it from other foods in clear, properly labelled, plastic containers. It would however be best to get rid of rice totally as accidents can happen.
- Now that your home is rice free you need to keep it that way. When shopping remember to check each and every new product you buy for rice or rice derivatives. The package will contain all the information you need, but the onus will be on you to proactively check each product.
Rice Allergy Treatment Options
Unfortunately there is no quick fix when it comes to a treatment for rice allergy. There are however a few steps you can take.
- Firstly, if you suspect that you are allergic to rice consult your GP immediately. Your GP can then advise you properly on how to treat the allergy or direct you to an allergist/immunologist. The specialist will be able to identify you allergy and prescribe treatment. In some cases antihistamines can be used to control the allergy. When it comes to ones’ health it is always better to err on the side of caution. If you suffer from a rice allergy get help as soon as you become aware of one of the many rice allergy symptoms.
- There is an epinephrine injection that you could be asked to carry around in the form of a pen called an epie-pen. This pen can be easily carried in your pocket and looks like an ordinary pen. This pen serves as a lifeline in you accidently ingest rice. In this case having your epie-pen with you could save your life as you will go into anaphylactic shock and die without it.
- If you suspect you are allergic to rice then the best solution is to avoid rice products. This can easily be done by removing any of these products from your cupboard to avoid accidents happening at home. If you are allergic to rice you need to be very weary of the many rice products that are available from rice flour to spring rolls – the list is endless. Further more when shopping always check the details of a product on the back if you are unsure whether it contains rice or not.
