Food Allergies
I have decided to finally stop viewing my food allergies as something that is uncommon, unusual, strange, or as something to hide or be ashamed of. The fact is that they are becoming increasingly more common and that more people should be aware of them. People should especially be more aware of nut allergies as they can be the most life threatening and account for the largest majority of food allergies. I went in search of some food allergy statistics and I found the following on The Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network website…
Food Allergy Facts and Statistics
* Food allergy is a growing public health concern in the U.S.
* Though reasons for this are poorly understood, the prevalence of food allergies and associated anaphylaxis appears to be on the rise.
* Peanut allergy doubled in children over a five-year period (1997-2002).
* Research suggests that food-related anaphylaxis might be underdiagnosed.
* An increasing number of school students have diagnosed life-threatening allergies.
* A 2007 study has shown that milk allergy may persist longer in life than previously thought. Of 800 children with milk allergy, only 19% had outgrown their allergy by age 4, and only 79% had outgrown it by age 16.
* More than 12 million Americans have food allergies. That’s one in 25, or 4% of the population.
* The incidence of food allergy is highest in young children – one in 17 among those under age 3.
* About 3 million children in the U.S. have food allergies.
* The CDC reported that food allergies result in over 300,000 ambulatory-care visits a year among children.
* Eight foods account for 90% of all food-allergic reactions in the U.S.: milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts (e.g., walnuts, almonds, cashews, pistachios, pecans), wheat, soy, fish, and shellfish.
* There is no cure for food allergies. Strict avoidance of food allergens and early recognition and management of allergic reactions to food are important measures to prevent serious health consequences.
* Even trace amounts of a food allergen can cause a reaction.
* Most people who’ve had an allergic reaction to something they ate thought that it was safe.
* Food allergies are life-altering for everyone involved and require constant vigilance.
* Early administration of epinephrine (adrenaline) is crucial to successfully treating anaphylactic reactions. Epinephrine is available by prescription in a self-injectable device (EpiPen® or Twinject®).
Please be aware of those around you who have food allergies. If you are making food for a large or diverse group of people, play it safe and leave out the nuts. If not, then please make sure to label the food as having nuts or to let the group of people know that your food contains nuts, because even though I try to be extra cautious I do not always think to ask and sometimes I assume a food that I have eaten before will be ok and then I end up having a reaction because an ingredient or two has been changed. Even nut extracts are a problem.
I vow to be even more cautious about foods I am allergic to in the future and I would ask that all of you (my five readers) will be more aware of the fact that more often then not there will be at least one person in a group situation who has a food allergy.