Background
Nearly 6% of American children and adults suffer from food allergies, but what are they exactly [1]? Most people have come into contact with an allergy-afflicted individual at some point. The prominence of allergies suggests that most laypeople should be well-versed in their different causes and effects, however, concrete knowledge is absent in the public consciousness. Food allergies are triggered when the body’s immune system wrongly identifies certain foods (allergens) as dangerous [2]. When an allergen is touched, ingested, or inhaled, the immune system produces immunoglobulin E (IgE), an antibody that binds to allergens from immune cells. Different symptoms are dictated by where chemicals are secreted in the tissue [3]. Because this response appears arbitrarily, people can develop allergies at any age regardless of previous exposure to allergenic foods.
Symptoms
Allergic reactions lie on a spectrum that ranges from mild to severe. Eggs, dairy, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, wheat, and soy are eight foods responsible for 90% of total reactions. It also isn’t guaranteed that an allergen will elicit the same level of reaction every time it is contacted [2]. Lightheadedness, hives, angioedema (swelling in the face), congestion, and diarrhea are some of the most common symptoms that occur [4]. Allergic reactions involve numerous systems of the body.
Treatment
Adrenaline auto-injectors, commonly known as EpiPens, are used in cases of severe allergic reactions. The phrase “blue to the sky, orange to the thigh” helps people properly administer this medication. Information on the correct EpiPen procedure can be found at How to Use an EpiPen.
Assessed and Endorsed by the MedReport Medical Review Board