Corn allergies aren’t as common as peanut or gluten allergies, but they are far more difficult to maintain as corn is such a widely used ingredient in products. Many people who have a corn allergy don’t realise it – this is because the symptoms are often attributed to other conditions, so they get overlooked. The symptoms for a corn allergy include headaches, swellings, stomach and digestive problems, and skin rashes. It may even be the case that using skin care lotions and shampoos which have corn derivatives in them leads to these symptoms arising. You can have skin prick tests or blood tests to determine if you have an allergy to corn. This is done by using a lancet which distributes a small amount of the allergen (in this case, corn extracts) onto scratched skin to start a reaction. Using an adhesive patch, allergists may also stick patches to the skin with certain allergens on them for a set period of time to see if it creates a reaction. Corn allergy tests can also include blood tests, which will analyse the blood for immunoglobin E levels to see if an allergy can be diagnosed.
Allergies occur when the immune system mistakes a protein, in this case corn, as an invading bacteria and sets the body up to defend itself against the allergen. This involves releasing histamines to fight the mistaken infection, which leads to a chemical reaction. The best way to prevent an allergic reaction is to simply avoid products where corn, or the derivatives of corn, have been used. This means no corn starch, corn oils or corn-based sweeteners in any of your meals – it can be tricky narrowing down what you’re able to eat, but the results for your body are well worth the effort. Corn-based ingredients aren’t limited to just food though – they can be found in shampoos, toothpastes and even perfumes. You may not always find it helpful to read the label on products, because not everything is listed as it really is. For example, in some products, citric acid is listed but not that it’s made with corn, or that vitamin D or E-enriched vegetable oil contains corn in supplements. Even the gum used to seal teabags together is corn based, as is the sweetener in chewing gum and the standard breath mints. Corn is everywhere, making it very difficult to avoid if you have an allergy.
Treating a corn allergy is similar to any other treatment for an allergy, in the sense that anti-histamines should be your first port of call to reduce the symptoms that may arise. These symptoms are very much the same as with other allergies, including watery eyes, wheezing, difficulty breathing, vomiting, diarrhoea and sickness. As previously mentioned, avoiding corn where possible is strongly advised, as is being careful with other hidden products that may be using corn as a secret ingredient, such as cosmetics and lotions. Corn is commonly used in fast food and snack bars, so these are best avoided as well. There are some things that are safe to eat though – fruit and vegetables are, of course, fine to eat, as are unsalted nuts, grass-fed fresh meat and fresh seafood.