Food Allergies and Attacks

Food Allergies, Attacks, & how to prevent them A food allergy, or hypersensitivity, is an abnormal response to a food that is triggered by the immune system. Allergy Facts In adults, the most common food allergies are: MILK Peanuts Tree Nuts Shellfish Milk Eggs Percentage of the U.S. population : Number of ER visits in the U.S. that tests positive to one or more allergens: • caused by food allergies each year: 30,000 55% Number of people with chronic allergy but who have nonallergic rhinitis instead: In highly allergic people even 1/44,000 of a peanut kernel can prompt an allergic reaction. MM RUNNY NOSE CONGESTION COUGH ONE IN THREE Number of people in the U.S. who have either allergy or asthma symptoms: ONE A IN FIVE do do do Odds that a child with two allergic : Odds that a child with one allergic parents will develop allergies: parent will develop allergies: 4,70% 33% Symptoms Treatment • All of the symptoms of food allergy occur within a few minutes to an hour of eating. • Symptoms can range from an itching in the mouth and difficulty swal- lowing and breathing, to nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain. • Allergens can induce hives or eczema, and when they reach the airways, they can cause asthma. • The main treatment for food allergies is dietary avoidance. • Such people should always carry a sy- ringe of adrenaline (epinephrine), obtained by prescription from their doctors, and be prepared to self-administer it if they think they are getting a food allergic reaction. People who have had ana- phylactic reactions to a food should wear medical alert bracelets stating that they have a food allergy and that they are subject to severe reactions. Sources: http://www.webmd.com/allergies/guide/food-allergy-intolerancestpage=2 http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/artasp?articlekeym25905 http://www.webmd.com/allergies/guide/food-allergy-intolerancestpage-6 http://www.webmd.com/allergies/allergy-s gy-statistics Sticky Jewelry INFOGRAPHIC DESIGNED BY NationalPositions StickyJ.com