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Teens Gamble with Food Allergies
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| Tuesday, December 30th, 2008 | | CWK Producer |
“Teenagers are into convenience, and it’s not always convenient to follow the rules.”
– Dr. Jon Stahlman, M.D., Pediatric Allergist
19-year-old Sarah Deringer is allergic to nuts, seafood and vegetable oil.
If she eats even a trace of those foods, she could get very sick.
“If I have really high exposure to it,” says Sarah, “I’ll tense up like my lungs will get really tight, and my throat will get really tight, like I’m about to have an asthma attack.”
“There have been times when, literally from head to toe, Sarah has been covered with eczema, and almost a blistering type of eczema,” says Sarah’s mom Lorrie.
So at school, in restaurants or even on dates, Sarah must follow strict rules.
“Well my ex-boyfriend, when we were dating,” says Sarah, “whenever he had shrimp or anything like that, I’d be like, ‘Well, you know you can’t kiss me for the rest of the evening because you’ve had that.’”
But research from Mount Sinai shows that teens with food allergies often gamble with their lives.
54-percent of teens in the study ate food without checking the ingredients.
“It’s hard, especially because we don’t like having to think about things ahead of time,” says Sarah, “and having to prepare food. It is really easy to just go to McDonald’s and pick up a French fry when you are hungry.”
Around 40 percent of the teens surveyed did not always carry the medical injections that could save their lives during an emergency.
“Teenagers are into convenience,” says pediatric allergist Dr. Jon Stahlman, “and it’s not always convenient to follow the rules. Sometimes it’s not convenient to carry your self-injectable epinephrine or rescue device if you were to have a reaction.”
Experts say it helps to educate friends about the allergy.
“Having your friends as part of your team is like having an extra set of eyes,” says Dr. Stahlman, “an extra set of hands, somebody to help you when you are going out to eat to read labels.”
“Some people I know will kind of pop me on the hand if I order something I shouldn’t be eating,” says Sarah. “They’ll eat it for me, gladly.”
What We Need To Know
In a survey, members of the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN) were asked about their experiences with food labeling – the list of ingredients on packaging that could help identify whether or not a food product contains allergens. The survey reported the following results:
- Of those surveyed, 98% said the labels don’t give them enough information.
- Approximately 88% said the labels are difficult to read.
- And 80% said they have called food manufacturers for more information.
According to an editorial in the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Consumer magazine, food ingredient labels are written “for scientists, not consumers.” Words such as potassium caseinate, albumin and seminola all appear on labels.
“Good for scientists,” editorialist Anne Munoz-Furlong writes, “but for consumers it takes detective work, or the experience of a reaction, before we learn that these words indicate the presence of milk, eggs and wheat, respectively.”
Those ingredients can cause severe reactions in children with food allergies. According to FAAN, a food allergy is an immune system response to food that the body mistakenly believes is harmful. The next time a child eats that particular food item, the immune system releases massive amounts of chemicals, including histamine, in order to protect the body. The chemicals trigger allergic symptoms that can affect breathing, the skin, the heart and gastrointestinal tract.
A child can be allergic to any food, including fruits, vegetables and meats. FAAN says that the eight foods listed below are the most common allergens, accounting for 90% of all allergic reactions to foods:
- Eggs
- Milk
- Peanuts
- Tree nuts (walnuts, cashews, etc.)
- Shellfish
- Soy
- Wheat
FAAN cites these additional important facts about food allergies:
- Scientists estimate that between 6 and 7 million Americans suffer from food allergies (between 2% and 2.5% of the population).
- Three million Americans suffer from peanut or tree nut allergy.
- Peanuts are the leading cause of severe allergic reactions (anaphylaxis), followed by shellfish, fish, tree nuts and eggs.
- Individuals who have food allergies and asthma appear to be at an increased risk for severe allergic reaction.
- Food allergy is the leading cause of anaphylaxis outside the hospital setting, accounting for an estimated 30,000 emergency room visits and 2,000 hospitalizations each year.
- It is estimated that as many as 150 to 200 people die annually from food-allergy reactions.
Anaphylaxis, or anaphylactic shock, is the body’s overreaction to a foreign substance. According to the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (ACAAI), this severe allergic reaction can happen moments, or even seconds, after being exposed to a triggering substance. Initial symptoms can be deceptively mild: a runny nose, a skin rash all over the body or a nondescript “strange feeling.” The ACAAI lists these additional symptoms of anaphylaxis:
- Sense of impending doom
- Hives
- Pale, clammy skin
- Tightness of the throat and a hoarse voice
- Swelling in the throat (around the mouth or eyes)
- Wheezing or difficulty breathing
- Nausea and/or vomiting
- Abdominal pain and/or diarrhea
- Lightheadedness
- Confusion
- Seizures
- Cardiac effects, including a rapid drop in blood pressure and irregular heart beat
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the best way to prevent food-induced anaphylaxis is to avoid “trigger foods.” Check label ingredients carefully, and be especially cautious when eating in a restaurant. If your child has a severe food allergy, make sure his or her school is prepared with an emergency plan of care and a shot of epinephrine in case of an allergic reaction.
According to Dr. Carden Johnston, an emergency room pediatrician at Alabama Children’s Hospital, simple allergic reactions are generally limited to one organ system. If a child breaks out with an itchy rash, parents can give an antihistamine, like Benedryl. Anaphylaxis involves more than one organ, so not only is the skin affected, but also maybe wheezing affects the lungs, vomiting affects the stomach or the fainting affects the heart. If there is more than one organ system involved, visit your doctor or the emergency room immediately or call 9-1-1.
Many pediatricians recommend that a child’s caretaker have an anaphylaxis kit, including epinephrine and an antihistamine. If your child has a food allergy, ask your pediatrician if you need an anaphylaxis kit.
Resources
- American Academy of Pediatrics
- American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology
- Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration
