What is particularly scary about food allergies, says Branum, is that they are "extremely unpredictable." A minor reaction can become a life-threatening condition with no warning. Essentially a response from the immune system, allergic reactions are not proportional to the amount of food ingested: a very small amount can trigger anaphylaxis, a whole-body reaction. An allergic person may be one peanut away from wheezing or coughing, his airways tightening until he turns blue. He may become confused or anxious; he may slur his speech. He may develop an irregular heart rhythm and other symptoms. True anaphylaxis is rare, but, when it occurs, it can be fatal.
Worries over the increasing number of children's food allergies are not confined to the U.S: it's a subject of concern throughout Europe as well.
(Newsweek, November 2010)
Worries over the increasing number of children's food allergies are not confined to the U.S: it's a subject of concern throughout Europe as well.
(Newsweek, November 2010)