Of late, food allergy has been on the rapid rise. One of the most common food allergies that are prevalent among children is the nut allergy. It can even cause death if you are not aware of it. Estimation by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease shows that every year, food allergy causes about 30,000 severe allergic reactions and about 150 deaths. This account to about 4% of adults being affected by food allergy and about 7% of children below four years of age are affected.
When we talk of it, sometimes we tend to confuse it with food intolerance. Food intolerance and food allergy are two different things and are treated differently. Food intolerance as such does not involve the immune system. Food intolerance is generally due to lack of a particular enzyme. One fine example would be that of lactase intolerance. The body requires lactase to break down the milk sugars. A person who lacks this enzyme would likely develop diarrhea, pain, blotting, constipation etc. The medication for food allergy is not going to help those with food intolerance.
Some physicians may even fail to diagnose food intolerance as they might look for allergic responses only. It is necessary to properly spot food intolerance for the proper treatment of the person. Now coming back to peanut allergy, a health website has quoted that in the past 10 years those diagnosed with peanut allergy has doubled. About 1.5 million children are living with the allergy. Though, peanuts and peanut product has not been banned officially but some schools have resolved to remove peanuts from their menus.
As per the records of the US Food and Drug Administration, there are more than 160 foods that can trigger allergic reactions among the people, which accounts for 90% food allergic reactions. In order to deal with the menace of food allergy, a law on Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act 2004 has been passed. According to this law every food product must clearly identify the ingredients and source of food. Since there is no particular cure for this life threatening reactions, the only choice we have is to avoid the allergens.
Most Americans spend half of their food budget in buying it from the restaurant. On an average 5.8 times per week, Americans buy snacks and meals from restaurants. Those with food allergies should clearly navigate the menu to protect themselves from any sort of health hazards. It is best to let the restaurant staff know about the food allergy problem that you have.
Read on to know more about the causes of peanut allergy and the symptoms. Though the intensity of this allergic reaction may not sound so grave but it can be deadly. So, adequate knowledge about the disease will be helpful in prevention.
