Understanding Food Allergies
Certain foods can cause an unpleasant or even dangerous immune system response. If your friend has a food allergy, you can help make their life easier — without making the allergy the focus of your time together.
By Carter B.
Food allergy is an immune system reaction that occurs soon after eating a certain food. Even a tiny amount of the allergy-causing food can trigger signs and symptoms such as digestive problems, hives or swollen airways, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Most of the time, people wouldn't know that they are putting someone at risk by bringing in certain food items. What people without allergies don't realize is that you can actually threaten someone's life by eating nuts around a person with severe food allergies. It is a big deal. Some people might think “Eh, allergies aren’t that bad. People can get a little bit sick.” That is not the case. Food allergies can range from just a little mark on your back to having to go to the hospital and praying for your life.
I have food allergies that are serious, but I have found ways to make sure that I do not end up in the hospital. One of the ways is by educating other people so that I'm not exposed to food that I'm allergic to by accident.
A way you can help people with allergies is to read food labels. This way, you won’t accidentally expose them to food such as nuts that is a common allergy.
Food allergies are actually a lot more common than you think. More than 50 million Americans experience various types of allergies each year, according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. That is way more than it used to be. According to the BBC, the reason allergies are so common is because of increased pollution, dietary changes and less exposure to microbes, which change how our immune systems respond.
Research is still being done on how to cure food allergies. The way I am handling my allergies is by avoiding the food that I’m allergic to and quickly recognizing and managing allergic reactions to food if they occur. You can tell if people have bad allergies if you see something called an EpiPen. An EpiPen is like a rectangular device that has a shot in it. The shot is given to someone if they are having a severe allergy to food, bee stings, or other allergies.
Finally, you can show how you care about people with allergies by asking them if they have any before giving them food. You may not realize that your favorite food could be the food that lands someone in the hospital.
How you can make an IMP∆CT:
Read labels when in a nut-free environment. There can be tree nuts in items that you might not suspect.
Food allergy facts:
More than 170 foods have been reported to cause allergic reactions.
Eight major food allergens – milk, egg, peanut, tree nuts, wheat, soy, fish and crustacean shellfish – are responsible for most of the serious food allergy reactions in the United States.
Allergy to sesame allergy is an emerging concern.
Source: FARE - Food Allergy Research & Education
