(Credit:CBS/WTVR)

(CBS) the death of a 7-year-old girl at school from a peanut allergy has raised questions about a school’s responsibility in treating kids with food allergies.

PICTURES – Food allergy: 9 dangerous myths

Two days ago, Ammaria Johnson died after suffering an allergic reaction at Hopkins Elementary School in Chesterfield Country, Va., WTVR CBS 6 in Richmond reported. the death is still being investigated, but Johnson’s mother told WTVR she learned from the school principal and a doctor that the allergy was to a peanut product.

Emergency crews were called to the school on Monday, but by the time they arrived, the child was in cardiac arrest, according to a Chesterfield fire Department spokesman Lt. Jason Elmore. Johnson was pronounced dead a short time later at CJW Medical Center in Richmond.

Food allergies affect an estimated 6 to 8 percent of children under age 5, and about 3 to 4 percent of adults, according to the Mayo Clinic. Food allergies can cause a number of symptoms, ranging from digestive problems and hives to a life-threatening reaction called anaphylaxis.

How did the school respond? County school and health officials could not discuss Johnson’s death directly, although they said it is the responsibility of the parent to provide medicine and instructions to doctors for kids with allergies.

“For any medication, the school would have to be in possession of that medication to provide it,” Shawn Smith, a spokesman for Chesterfield County Public Schools, told ABC News. “The medication we receive, or should receive, has to be specific to that child, whether it’s over-the-counter or prescription.” 

The girl’s mom, Laura Pendleton, told WTVR she authorized an allergy action plan to give her daughter Benadryl in case of an allergic reaction, but the school didn’t give the girl the medication. Pendleton said she had tried to give an aid an EpiPen for emergencies, but was told to keep it at home. An EpiPen is available with prescription and gives a dose of epinephrine that reverses symptoms of an allergic reaction for enough time to get the person to a hospital.

The girl’s tragic case raises the question: should schools stockpile EpiPens to treat kids in the event of an allergic reaction?

Maria Acebal, head of the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network, told CNN that Ammaria’s death “underscores the need for all teachers to have the basics of food allergy safety as part of their orientation and continuing education.”

Acebal told ABC she’s supporting a bill that would let all schools give EpiPens to any student, regardless of if they have a prescription.

“No one in this country has ever been sued for giving epinephrine, to my knowledge,” Acebal told ABC. “All the lawsuits come about because school officials don’t give it when it’s needed.”

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Food allergies are a huge public health threat.

However, for the first time, a panel of experts has agreed on the best way to diagnose and manage the problem.

One in 25 people suffer from food allergies.

In some cases, food allergies can lead to anaphylaxis, a severe and even deadly reaction.

But now there’s help.

New guidelines developed by a panel of experts will help doctors better diagnose and treat food allergies.

More than 43 recommendations are listed, including how to diagnose a food allergy, and which tests are most effective.

The recommendations also include common allergy-causing foods and their symptoms, and how to manage non-life threatening allergic reactions, as well as potentially life-threatening anaphylaxis.

Though it’s unclear why, experts believe food allergies are on the rise.

The most common aggravators include peanuts, tree nuts, seafood, milk, and eggs.

Food allergies are more common in children than adults.

Fortunately, most children will outgrow their allergy to eggs, milk, soy, or wheat.

There is no cure for food allergies. if you think you’ve suffered a reaction to food, talk to your doctor, and be sure your doctor knows about the new guidelines.

Can any multiple sclerosis sufferers tell me what their *very first* symptoms were and which made them realize that something pretty serious was up?

Mine started one Saturday morning with a tingling in my gums in the left side of my face. During the day the tingling spread to my lips and I thought I might have developed some kind of sea food allergy, since I had crayfish the night before. two days later exactly half my face, including half my tongue was numb/pins and needles.

I went to the doctor on a Monday, she did some reflex tests and then referred me to a neurologist who saw me the next day. I actually never once thought it could be anything serious until the MRI results came back and my neurologist said he was 100% sure it was MS and that the lumbar puncture would only confirm it, which it did.

my initial symptoms were right side weakness and electrical like shocks that resonated through my body. then came a bout of optic neuritis and blind in my right eye when I woke up one day. then the constant fatigue and pain. an MRI showed lesions on my brain, an LP showed abnormalities in my spinal fluid and the ON confirmed the DX.
Here is hoping that you don't have it.

A lack of testing for food allergies is putting children's health at risk and could lead to life threatening reactions, a study has found.

The study, Adverse reactions to food in new Zealand children age 0-5 years, was published today in the new Zealand Medical Journal.

It looked at a cross-section of 110 children who had attended Plunket clinics.

It found 44 had experienced an adverse reaction to food, but only four had been clinically evaluated.

Those children were found to have adverse reactions to food allergens, including a life threatening peanut allergy.

Two others had been hospitalised with systemic symptoms, but neither had undergone testing for food allergy.

“If these children have food allergies, they remain at risk for continued and possibly severe reactions,” the study said.

Parents modifying children's diets or breastfeeding mothers cutting out food without advice from a physician or dietician could also have adverse affects, it said.

“Failure to thrive is commonly seen in children experiencing FA (food allergy) as a result of multiple foods being removed from their diet.”

The data indicated adverse reactions to food were a public health concern and may be under investigated — even when symptoms were severe, the study said.

“There is an urgent need to investigate the epidemiology, diagnosis, and prevention of FA (food allergy) in new Zealand to reduce morbidity, improve child health, and reduce the burden to health costs.”

Thirty-three of the children were reported to have eczema.

Ten had worsening symptoms two hours after eating, the study said. Symptoms improved in six of them with dietary changes.

Doctors had prescribed topical therapy for 18 of those children with eczema, but symptoms had persisted.

“One possible explanation for this observation is undiagnosed FA (food allergy). without testing, allergic triggers for eczema could not be identified in these participants.”

Further investigation of food allergy as the cause of eczema was warranted, the study said.

Adverse reactions to food worldwide in children was an increasing concern and food allergy was as common in new Zealand as in other countries, the study said.

The study was conducted by the Auckland District Health Board and led by Associate Professor Rohan Ameratunga and lead researcher Dr Christine Crooks.

Allergy new Zealand chief executive Penny Jorgensen said the study was “really disturbing” because it highlighted that many children were not being assessed for food allergy.

The risk was the potential for life-threatening reactions, she said.

Image : flickr.com

Suffering from food allergies suggests that your own body overreacts to a particular substances contained in a kind of food. the circumstance is also referred to as food hypersensitivity. Among the typical signs are the burning and itching around the mouth, vomiting, eczema, and asthma. Researches reveal that virtually 90% of the allergies are being caused by soy, milk, nuts, or eggs.

For kids, the allergic response normally occurs when they’re below five years of age. Some of those could it be settled while there are others which are continued towards the adult stage. it is stated that kids who have two allergic parents are most likely to obtain allergies too when equated with those who just have one allergic mother or father.

Allergy to Food as Linked with the Symptoms

Different Sorts of Food Allergy

Food allergies are categorized into four types. they have their own descriptions too.

Type I. it often times leads to anaphylaxis right within the 60 minutes span of time after having ingested the food. the blood vessels start to dilate while the nose runs. Many a times anaphylaxis may be critical.

Type II. this leads to the same causes as with the first type.

Type III. this happens after some hours of eating. the typical reaction of the skin is to get annoyed and the bronchi to be somehow blocked.

Type IV. this is the retarded reaction which might come about between 24 up to 48 hours after the food has been ingested. the more food has been consumed, the worse the signs can get. Generally, individuals who are allergic to food succumb to this type.

The frequent food allergens are contained in the soy, egg, milk, shellfish, nuts, fish, legumes, tomato, berries, some fruits, mustard, white potato, and cucumber.

Diagnosing the Allergy

The initial thing to look into when diagnosing an hypersensitive reaction is the person’s medical history and diet. the doctor is liable to investigate if there are any other sorts of allergies that run in the family.

The diagnostic tests are also useful. they are medical procedures which are administered to further investigate the case. the tests often include blood and skin tests in addition to oral food challenges. these are conducted to unearth the particular sorts of food that trigger the allergy symptoms.

Food allergies are best handled by the health care professionals. they are the very persons who can give the right treatment after some careful sets of diagnosis. it is relatively critical that one who suffers should be provided the right medical assistance to further stop getting to the worst side of the coin.

As you clearly know, the signs and symptoms vary from person-to-person. Simultaneously, the diagnosis is likewise a complex structure. thanks to the modern leap forward in the medical field because today’s society is in reality embraced by the reasoning behind “for each ill is a related pill” thing.

You may reach your physician as soon since the indications persist and obviously be very careful with the food that you take.

Related : lactose intolerance symptoms food intolerance symptoms

Tags: Allergies, Diagnosis, Symptoms

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