Recently a reader sent me an email describing an allergic reaction and asking me if I thought she was allergic to white bread. The symptoms she described involved her tongue and throat swelling up and becoming painful.
I replied that what she described could indeed be food allergy symptoms, and urged her to see her doctor as soon as possible. The next day she emailed me to let me know her mother had made a doctor's appointment for her. It turned out my reader was a teenager.
This experience made me realize two things: First, young people are on the internet searching for health information just like their parents - but with fewer skills to sort out reliable information from unreliable. Second, there is a huge need for education about the symptoms of food allergies, and in particular, anaphylaxis.
A recent article in the Chicago Tribune about the death of 13-year old Katelyn Carlson highlighted the challenge of teachers being asked to make medical decisions about allergic reactions and what type of treatment to give a child. In the case of Katelyn, who ate Chinese food at a classroom holiday party, she had an epinephrine auto-injector which was not used.
The Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Management Act (FAAMA) which was recently signed into law provides incentive grants for schools to develop and implement food allergy education and management programs in public schools. While not much has happened yet with this legislation (there is no information about it on the FDA web site) we can hope that the lure of federal funding will entice schools to improve education about and awareness of food allergies in schools.
Schools are a good place to start, but the need for education is everywhere.
Have you sucessfully worked with your child's teacher, grandparents, or babysitter to increase their understanding of food allergies? Have you taught your co-workers to recognize the signs of anaphylaxis? Share your story about what works (and what doesn't) for educating the people in your life about food allergies.
