It’s the height of summer, when a lot of us are spending time outdoors. It’s also the time when tick bites become more common. The bite of these tiny critters can leave you with an unpleasant legacy – a severe red meat allergy.
It’s a sneaky process too. The allergy can set in months later, long after the tick has done its dirty work.
Most anaphylactic food reactions will occur quickly after eating. However, symptoms from tick bites and red meat can be delayed as much as three to six hours after eating beef, pork or lamb. The phenomena is called delayed anaphylaxis.
Dr Scott Commins notes that these allergies are “predominantly adult onset reactions, meaning these people have tolerated red meat their entire lives.” This can be an additional shock for those not familiar with allergies; it doesn’t make sense to many that a food eaten for a lifetime can become a source of an allergy. However, we can only become allergic to something that we have previous exposure to.
A tick-mediated allergic reaction is a bit different than other anaphylactic allergies. Instead of being mediated directly by IgE antibodies alone, the tick bite somehow triggers the creation of a whole new antibody called Alpha-GAL. The Alpha-GAL antibody attaches to IgE – just like an allergen would – and this creates the severe reaction.
However, the Alpha-GAL is only created after eating meat.
Commins says that there are tests available to detect this new antibody. Knowing that you have the antibody can help a sufferer understand the condition and avoid red meat.
If you are either blood type B or AB, you have some natural protection from this tick-borne problem. However, if you have any other blood type, you need to be aware of the danger. If you have significant itching and redness around a bite, get a screening test done. A bad reaction to a tick bite can be a sign of an impending problem.
Source: Ivanhoe.com
