Many people have allergies, but how many have had the reaction? Charlotte  had a reaction in 2011 to curry. She had “started to cough and wheeze quite dramatically.” But she had such a bad reaction that she “never made it to the hospital because [her] allergy got so bad [her] mum had to stick [her] adrenaline auto injector into [her] thigh while [her] dad called the ambulance.” Food is a big allergy that most people have, there are allergies to nuts, strawberries, even potatoes. Allergies can get pretty life-threatening if you do not know you have them.

This topic is very important to me, I personally have allergies and know what can happen if anyone is careless with your allergy. I have had family and close friends forget, I cannot say that I know how an allergic reaction feels like because I have been fortunate not to have one. I have had a few mix ups with my allergy, I was at my Uncle and Aunt’s house and it was my Uncle’s birthday. They had forgotten to tell us that the cake had peanut butter frosting in it, I had taken a bite and thought that it had tasted weird. I told my mom and she had her first bite and asked my Aunt what kind of cake it was, my Aunt said that she had thought she told us that it had peanut butter frosting, she did not. I had to go and spit out what I ate and had to have some Benadryl, I was lucky that nothing happened. There have been other times at the lunch table in school where I would have to remind someone that they really shouldn’t eat something around me, because it was a messy nut bar or something like that, and they would get mad at me or make a big deal about it. Even my best friend can forget for a minute or two, I don’t hold it against my best friend because I know how hard it is and they try their best.

Jo at True Stories, has had different problems than Charlotte and I. There were people who have waved nuts in front of Jo’s face as a joke. Jokes like this do happen and are serious. It might be a “just a joke” to you, but to Jo, it’s life or death.  Now it’s not just friends and family that can make a mistake. In New York, Brandon Dixon died after “a staff at his school gave him a candy bar with nuts in it, despite the fact that he had a peanut allergy.” These stories are just a few of many terrible stories of costly mistakes.

Who Has to Remember?

Well, everyone. Friends, family, and normal everyday people. Even if you don’t know someone with allergies, you need to remember that there are people out there who do have allergies. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “more than 50 million Americans have an allergy of some kind. Food allergies are estimated to affect 4 to 6 percent of children and 4 percent of adults.” That many people are affected by allergies everyday.

According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, “people visit the emergency room about 200,000 times each year because of food allergies. Almost 10,000 people stay in the hospital each year because of food allergies. Little things here or there can have life-threatening consequences. Even if it’s in a restaurant or cafeteria, people have allergies and we need to respect that. If you want that granola bar, save it for when your home and wash your hands after. Even touching something they are allergic to can make someone have a reaction, the little things can kill or save a life. Remember, it’s not the person who has an allergy, it’s your fault if you forget their allergy.

Image by London Scout

What Happens To People With Seasonal Allergies?

There are people who have seasonal allergies and people with allergies year round. According to everydayhealth, dust and mold can be year round allergies for some people. In the spring, pollen is responsible for the discomfort of many. Summer brings ragweed and fall brings mold. After this we keep going in the circle of allergies every year. Some allergies are so harsh that, people never get a break. You know that person who alway sneezes then says, allergies right after. Well, they really do mean it.

Image by Melissa Askew

What Happens During Anaphylaxis?

Anaphylaxis shock is a “severe allergic reaction that may involve the entire body.” It mainly happens when someone has an exposure to something they are allergic to. This could be a nut, mold, fish, even an animal. Reactions could happen within minutes, but it is important to read the signs. Reactions can happen in many different ways. The person could start to cough and wheeze trying to get air, they could pass out or have anxiety attack. Also, they could get itchy, red eyes and turn a pale blue color. A lot of reactions we hear about are caused by food, but reactions can be caused by insect stings, medicine, latex, even exercise, though rare. What you need to do is make sure you have an epinephrine shot (Epi Pen) with you to stop the reaction before it’s too late.

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What Can You Do?

We all want to feel like we are being heard and with allergies, this is especially hard, but “having supportive and accepting friends can make a big difference emotionally.” If you have an allergy, you do not want that to be the focus of your time all your life. Every once in awhile, there are slip-ups, having a friend who knows and cares can help prevent that in a kind way. Allergies will be stressful at times and you need a friend to understand. If you want to help, the first step is to learn what they know. You will need to know what they are allergic to, what has happened in the past, and what the reactions look like. This information can help you know what is going on if the situation comes up. Second, if your friend isn’t feeling good after eating, it might be a reaction to something they ate. Try to help them figure out if it was something they ate. If it is not, at least they are not having an allergic reaction.

The next two steps are, allergies can be life threatening, so do not joke about this and take it seriously. If your friend is allergic to nuts and they are going to eat something with nuts, they probably are not paying attention. Then, you have to tell them so they are not at risk. If they start to have a reaction, call for help and if you know how to, administer the auto-injector or what they take to treat a reaction. You could save their life if you take it seriously. Lastly, do not share food with your friend and wash your hands with soap and water after you eat. They could have allergies to chocolate or dairy and they will not know what you put into your recipes. You should always wash your hands, but especially after you have eaten food someone could be allergic to.

Image by JooJoo41

Why Is Learning About Allergies Important?

The more we learn and understand about a topic, the more we can do for and because of it. You may be able to prevent an allergic reaction just by remembering what you read or what the person told you. You can help more people because you know how. Learning about allergies means you can see the signs and help avoid them. One last reminder, there are many types of nuts and other allergies out there, Almonds, Walnuts, and Cashews are nuts. Allergies are not a joke, treat them like what they are, important.

Posted by SederElanaN00

Featured Image by DarkoStojanovic