Food Allergy Facts and Figures
A food allergy occurs when the body’s immune system sees a certain food as harmful and reacts by causing symptoms. This is an allergic reaction. Foods that cause allergic reactions are called allergens.How Common Are Food Allergies?
- Food allergies are most common in young children.
- Milk, egg, wheat and soy allergies are often outgrown. But most people do not outgrow peanut, tree nut, fish and shellfish allergies.
- Food allergies affect approximately 4 to 6 percent of children in the U.S.
- About 5.9 million (8%) of children have food allergies.
- In 2015, 4.2 million children under 18 years of age had food allergies over the previous 12 months.
- Children with food allergies are two to four times more likely to have asthma or other allergic disease.
- Food allergies occur at a lower rate in Hispanic children at 3.6 percent. Food allergies in non-Hispanic white and non-Hispanic black children are greater than 5 percent.
What Are the Most Frequent Food Allergens?
- Eight foods cause 90 percent of most food allergy reactions:
What Is Anaphylaxis?
Anaphylaxis is a life-threatening allergic reaction.- Not all allergic reactions are anaphylactic.
- Anaphylaxis can cause:
- Tightening of the airways
- Swelling of the throat
- Severely low blood pressure
- Shock6
- Symptoms of a severe allergic reaction can include:
- Skin: hives (often very itchy), flushed skin or rash
- Mouth: swelling of the lips, tongue and throat; tingling or itchy feeling in the mouth
- Lungs: shortness of breath, trouble breathing, coughing or wheezing
- Heart: dizziness, lightheadedness
- Stomach: vomiting, diarrhea
- Food, latex, insect stings and medicines can cause a severe allergic reaction.
- Each year in the U.S., it is estimated that severe reactions to food cause:
- 30,000 emergency room visits
- 2,000 hospitalizations
- 150 deaths
How Are Food Allergies Managed and Treated?
- There is currently no cure for food allergies.
- Avoiding the allergen is the most important way to prevent a reaction.
- Those with food allergies should carefully read food labels and always ask about ingredients before eating the food.
- Epinephrine is the first line of treatment for anaphylaxis.
- Those with food allergies should always have epinephrine auto-injectors on hand.
- If a person is having anaphylaxis, they should:
- Follow their Anaphylaxis Action Plan
- Use their epinephrine auto-injector
- Call 911* ( EUROPE 112)
References
Δεν υπάρχουν σχόλια:
Δημοσίευση σχολίου