It is relatively common to find egg allergy sufferers in the daily practice; it usually appears early in life coinciding with the introduction of egg in the diet.
Frequently, after a correct diagnosis is made and with appropriate avoidance measures, the analytical parameters tend to decrease and tolerance to the food is acquired. At this stage it is necessary to get in the hands of a specialist in allergology, otherwise the risk of a reaction or perpetuation will increase.
What is the bird-egg syndrome?
It is less frequent to find an allergy to egg and also to poultry meat at the same time. This syndrome has some characteristics that differentiate it, starting with the age of onset, which is more frequent in adults and women. When this occurs it is related to the same antigenic protein present in both egg yolk and poultry meat and it is called alpha-livetin. When we speak of egg allergy it is not that it is against the egg white; not in this syndrome and in addition it begins with sensitization to poultry proteins and later with symptoms due to egg ingestion; another difference is that sensitization is more persistent and difficult to reach cure.
The diagnosis should initially be made on clinical suspicion (digestive and respiratory symptoms appear after exposure) and confirmed with standardized skin tests, laboratory tests and even, if in doubt, with food allergy or exposure tests; always in a controlled and monitored manner with trained personnel and not in any way or at home because in case of reaction it is not enough to have an emergency within 15 minutes; “a severe reaction to a food or a drug does not wait until we get to the emergency room”.
Finally, remember that the presence of a food allergy, egg, milk… in childhood has been linked to the appearance of allergies to inhalants in later years or to the later development of atopic gait.