How Common Are Severe Food Allergies?
How Common Are Severe Food Allergies?
Study Shows Life-Threatening Reactions Account for 1 of Every 100 ER Visits
F. Estelle R. Simons, MD, an allergy specialist at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, Canada, and president of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, agrees. "Anaphylaxis is a severe allergic reaction that is sudden in onset. There may be a rash on the skin, trouble swallowing, trouble breathing, and more. If you wait until a person is in shock, you have missed the opportunity to save a life," she tells WebMD.
Simons says that people with food allergies need to get more aggressive about managing their own disease.
Every person with food allergies should carry either a Twinject or EpiPen autoinjector -- a syringe filled with epinephrine and encased in a self-injecting device that can be used anywhere, anytime, she says.
"You should take epinephrine at the first sign of an allergic reaction," Simons says. "First, epinephrine, then call 911. Better safe than sorry."
How Common Are Severe Food Allergies?
Study Shows Life-Threatening Reactions Account for 1 of Every 100 ER Visits
Better Diagnosis Needed continued...
F. Estelle R. Simons, MD, an allergy specialist at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, Canada, and president of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, agrees. "Anaphylaxis is a severe allergic reaction that is sudden in onset. There may be a rash on the skin, trouble swallowing, trouble breathing, and more. If you wait until a person is in shock, you have missed the opportunity to save a life," she tells WebMD.
Simons says that people with food allergies need to get more aggressive about managing their own disease.
Every person with food allergies should carry either a Twinject or EpiPen autoinjector -- a syringe filled with epinephrine and encased in a self-injecting device that can be used anywhere, anytime, she says.
"You should take epinephrine at the first sign of an allergic reaction," Simons says. "First, epinephrine, then call 911. Better safe than sorry."
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