Most egg allergy symptoms happen within two hours of exposure. But they can happen almost immediately, within minutes or seconds.

So your doctor may suggest an oral food challenge. This involves eating eggs in greater amounts whilst being watched for a reaction. Or they may need to do an internal examination using a camera (endoscopy) to make the diagnosis.

Be ready with details of your family medical history and any symptoms. A daily log of what you eat and drink may help.

Most egg allergy symptoms happen within two hours of exposure. But they can happen almost immediately, within minutes or seconds.

Symptoms can include:

• Tingling or itching in the mouth
• A raised, itchy red rash (hives) – sometimes the skin can turn red and itchy but not raised
• Swelling of the face, mouth, throat or other parts of the body
• Difficulty swallowing
• Wheezing or shortness of breath
• Feeling dizzy and lightheaded
• Feeling sick (nausea) or vomiting
• Abdominal pain or diarrhea

Symptoms can include:

• Tingling or itching in the mouth
• A raised, itchy red rash (hives) – sometimes the skin can turn red and itchy but not raised
• Swelling of the face, mouth, throat or other parts of the body
• Difficulty swallowing
• Wheezing or shortness of breath
• Feeling dizzy and lightheaded
• Feeling sick (nausea) or vomiting
• Abdominal pain or diarrhea

• flushed, pale or itching skin (hives)
• swelling of the tongue or throat
• a weak or rapid pulse
• diarrhea, vomiting or feeling sick
• low blood pressure (hypotension)
• narrowing of the airways, which may cause wheezing and difficulty breathing
• feeling dizzy or fainting

Learning to recognize these symptoms early can help minimize severity of an anaphylactic reaction. You must use your emergency medication as soon as possible and seek immediate medical attention.

Adapting your diet to avoid eggs is essential. Your doctor may refer you to a nutritionist or dietician to help you maintain a balanced diet. You’ll find lots more advice on how to do that in our article about food allergy.

Children usually start school with an allergy action plan. Involve them in discussions around food as soon as they’re old enough. This builds confidence and helps them to raise concerns.

Get to know what’s inside the foods you eat by reading the food labels. You can use a translation app to identify allergens in other languages.

It’s not just meringues, mousses and macaroons that are made with egg whites. There’s the less obvious ones like some types of coffee drinks with very foamy topping. Egg white can also appear in unexpected places such as wine production (to stop it going cloudy), ground meat (as a natural preservative) and in the manufacture of edible packing films.

Call or email restaurants before you go so they have time to prepare your food safely. And tell them about your food allergy again when you get there. Any self-service food counters, such as salad bars or buffets, pose a risk of cross-contamination.

Request an egg-free meal when you travel or bring your own food. And wipe down all surfaces before eating from it. Keep your allergy medicine with you at all times and remember your spares.

Egg protein can be in soap, creams, cosmetics, hair masks and shampoo. If you have a severe egg white allergy make sure you check the label before use. It’s also in some vaccines.

The yellow fever vaccine contains egg protein. The World Health Organization (WHO) says that people with severe egg allergy shouldn’t receive it. Your doctor can provide a waiver for travel if needed.

Epinephrine is another name for the hormone adrenaline, a naturally occurring hormone in your body. Your healthcare provider may prescribe it in the form of an auto-injector if they think you’re at risk of a severe allergic reaction.

Carry two auto-injectors with you at all times as one dose may not be enough. Always seek immediate medical attention even if the first dose of epinephrine makes you feel better in case of a delayed secondary reaction.

Family and friends should be taught how to use an auto-injector as this prepares them for emergencies. A medical alert bracelet or necklace signals to other people how to help you.

Keep the original packaging and pharmacy prescription label as you’ll need it if you travel overseas. That’s the general rule for any medication. For injectables, the advice is also to get a note from your doctor.

2. Vermeide die Verbreitung allergener Erdnussproteine

• Mache es dir zur Gewohnheit, am Tisch zu essen und einen Teller zu verwenden.
• Reinige Küchenoberflächen, an denen Erdnussrückstände vorhanden sein könnten, mit einem Einwegtuch.
• Dasselbe gilt für Pfannen und Utensilien, wenn du mit Erdnüssen kochst.

3. Und achte darauf, sie nicht versehentlich zu essen

• Teile weder Tassen noch Besteck, da Erdnussproteine im Speichel zurückbleiben können.
• Warne auch dein Date, dass du niemanden küssen kannst, nachdem er oder sie Erdnüsse gegessen hat.
• Lasse dich von den Hunden anderer Menschen nicht ablecken, es sei denn, du weißt sicher, dass ihre Besitzerin oder ihr Besitzer erdnussfreies Haustierfutter und Leckerlis kauft.

Egg white allergy is more common than egg yolk allergy, and most common in young children and infants. And many kids will outgrow it. Managing egg white allergy means avoid egg entirely, even if you’re only allergic to the white, due to almost inevitable cross-contamination. People with severe egg allergy should also get medical advice before receiving certain vaccines. Antihistamines can help ease milder food allergy symptoms. The treatment for anaphylaxis is epinephrine.