The American Gastroenterological Association has created some instructions to help doctors and patients find out if their unexpected tummy problems are caused by something called alpha-gal syndrome. Alpha-gal is an allergy that you can get when a tick bites you. The instructions were published in the medical journal Gastroenterology on March 21, 2023.
Alpha-gal syndrome is an allergy that makes people’s bodies react when they eat meat from mammals or food made from these animals. The symptoms of this condition usually show up 2-6 hours after eating the mammal meat and products.
If you live in certain parts of the United States, like the Southeast, mid-Atlantic, Midwest or East Central regions, your doctor may want to check if you have an allergy called alpha-gal. Symptoms include stomach issues such as pain, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting. There’s a special blood test that can find out if this allergy is present in your system. If it is, then the best thing to do is avoid eating foods that contain alpha-gal which includes mammal meat and products made with it.
Alpha-gal syndrome is a condition that affects some people. It can cause an allergic reaction to certain types of food.
Alpha-gal Syndrome is an allergy that makes your body react badly if you eat anything from mammals such as cows, pigs, and deer. It could be their meat or something else from them like cheese, butter, milk, gelatin and more. You usually start feeling the effects 2-6 hours after eating it – like pain in your tummy, loose poo, a rash with itching or swellings all over your face. In some cases, it can even make you faint!
Let’s talk about lone star ticks! These peculiar insects are quite interesting and it’s important to know a little bit about them.
Lone Star ticks (Amblyomma americanum) are a type of tick that mostly live in the eastern and southeastern US. They are called ‘Lone Star’ because adult female ticks have a white spot that looks like the shape of Texas on its back. Lone Star ticks have an aggressive personality, meaning they will bite a lot of different animals including humans, dogs, and deer. These types of ticks can spread difficult illnesses such as Rocky Mountain spotted fever, tularemia and alpha-gal syndrome. Alpha-gal syndrome is a special food allergy where your body has reactions to eating certain kinds of meat from mammals.
