Why Food Allergy Awareness Month Is So Important

This month is all about educating about food allergies and supporting those who suffer from them. WHY is it so important to have an entire month dedicated to food allergies? Because 33 million Americans have food allergies and they are widely misunderstood.

So here are some things everyone should know:

👉 Even though food allergies affect one in 13 children, the condition may begin either in childhood or as an adult.

👉 Over 170 different foods have been reported to cause an allergic reaction, but the BIG 9 that lead to the most reactions include:
▪️ Soy
▪️ Milk
▪️ Fish
▪️ Shellfish
▪️ Peanuts
▪️ Tree Nuts
▪️ Eggs
▪️ Wheat
▪️ Sesame

👉 Symptoms may begin to occur within seconds or hours after exposure to an allergen.

👉 A reaction can be mild to severe, and when it is life-threatening, it’s called anaphylaxis.

👉 Each year in the US, it is estimated that severe reactions to food cause around 30,000 emergency room visits, 2,000 hospitalizations, and 150 deaths.

👉 The first-line treatment of anaphylaxis is epinephrine and that is why it is essential that allergic individuals have TWO epinephrine auto-injectors (like EpiPens or Auvi-Qs) on them at ALL times.

👉 When a person is experiencing symptoms of anaphylaxis the following steps should be taken:
▪️ Give epinephrine!
▪️ Eliminate all risks of additional allergen exposure
▪️ Call 911 or seek medical attention immediately
▪️ Have the person lay down with his or her legs raised to help restore blood flow to vital organs
▪️ Repeat epinephrine every 5-10 minutes if symptoms continue or get worse

👉 By working together, we can support, uplift, accommodate, include, and empathize, because WE CARE.

Statistics Source: FARE