Came across a group on facebook called "Allergies are bulls***" I'm not one that likes swearing, as I just wasn't brought up like that and it took friends in highschool to "teach" me to swear, I was quite naive I suppose so firstly ugh swearing, secondly this page claims that parents and people are just using the term allergies to garner some attention. Firstly allergies are very serious, being it milk, egg, gluten, nuts etc etc. So someone thinking we are just after attention really strikes at the heart of not just myself but a full group of people who have to handle allergies on a daily basis, which can range from checking the food whilst shopping, putting cream on, taking medicine. It can be a huge part of our lives. So... ouch :(
Also this week we had the findings in research regarding peanuts, a great study which has shown that children who may develop a peanut allergy ( ie those with eczema and a egg allergy) are tested to see if firstly they react to a skin prick test to peanuts and then they slowly build up a tolerance and in 86% of the children they didn't develop a peanut allergy at this stage which is fantastic! ( here is the link about the study http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/feb/23/feed-babies-peanuts-reverse-allergy-rise)
Since this was broadcast in the news some people perhaps thinking they had good intentions have messaged people i know telling them its ok now just give the little darlings some nuts.. erm. Sorry this isn't going to help those who already have a nut allergy. Someone was also told to give their poor child a snickers, they would only "puff" up a few times. seriously? do people not realise how serious allergies can get?
(Taken from the NHS website)
Symptoms of allergies
The symptoms of an allergic reaction can vary, depending on which substance (allergen) you are allergic to.
If you are allergic to substances in the air – such as pollen, animal dander and dust mites – the symptoms usually include:
- rhinitis – sneezing and a blocked, itchy or runny nose
- conjunctivitis – itchy, red, streaming eyes
- asthma – wheezing, breathlessness and a cough
If you are allergic to a certain food or medication, symptoms can include:
- urticaria (hives) – a raised, itchy, red rash
- swelling – usually affecting the lips, tongue, eyes and face
- abdominal pain, vomiting and diarrhoea
- atopic eczema – the skin becomes dry, red and cracked
You can also be allergic to substances coming into direct contact with the skin, such as perfumes, soaps, hair dyes and metal jewellery. This causes a type of eczema known as contact dermatitis.
It is important to remember that these symptoms can also be caused by other conditions, so see your GP for advice if you're not sure what's causing your symptoms.
Sensitisation
The symptoms of an allergic reaction do not happen the first time you come into contact with an allergen, but at a later point of contact.
This is because the body’s immune system has to develop sensitivity to the allergen before you can become allergic to it. In other words, your immune system needs to recognise and memorise the allergen (for example, pet hair or pollen) and then make antibodies against it. This process is known as sensitisation.
The time taken to become sensitised to an allergen varies from days to years. Some people stop in the sensitisation phase, as they experience symptoms, but never fully develop an allergy.
Anaphylaxis
In very rare cases, an allergy can lead to a severe allergic reaction, called anaphylactic shock, which can be fatal.
Most allergic reactions occur locally in a particular part of the body, such as the nose, eyes or skin. In anaphylaxis, the allergic reaction involves the whole body and usually happens within minutes of coming into contact with a particular allergen.
The symptoms of anaphylactic shock can include any or all of the following:
- swelling of the throat and mouth
- difficulty swallowing or speaking
- difficulty breathing
- a rash anywhere on the body
- flushing and itching of the skin
- stomach cramps, nausea and vomiting
- a sudden feeling of weakness, due to a fall in blood pressure
- collapsing and becoming unconscious
However it is obvious in other circles that people really don't know how serious allergies can get. I have a friend who has let me discuss an incident that has occurred this week. my friends child has several food allergies, most of which lead to Anaphylactic reactions. A child at my friends child's school decided to take it upon themselves to see if they were really allergic to the foods they have said they are. This child has managed to take the other child's lunch box and contaminate it with yoghurt, taking great care to put it in the wrap for lunch and in the bottom of fruit compartments. Thankfully the child was seen messing with the lunch and the right people were alerted before anything serious where to happen! My friend had to come and collect the lunch and provide a new one which obviously is a cost if people are like us and like to plan and have a certain amount in! This could cause issues, or rather it would if it were us! The parents of the child in the wrong were informed of the incident and their response to my friend " Are X's allergies real? " and proceeded to say the school had been a bit harsh to their child.
If i had found out that one of my children had taken someone's lunch and decided to do their own experiments to see if a child was really allergic to an item of food I would go balistic. This could have had the real potential to kill a child and the parents are very blaise about it all? HOW? Why are they not up in arms that their child could have caused the death of another!!! I would be also very apologetic to the allergy child's parents. But this is not the case. I am so angry on behalf of my friend and really want to urge people to take a moment and think.
Allergies have the potential to kill, no ifs and buts there really are children out there and people as we have seen in the news recently that are dying due to a lack of understanding on allergies. We don't do this for attention.
Personally I would rather not have to check menus every time we want to eat, or labels, not have to carry a bag full of life saving medicine everywhere for just incase.
I would rather have a easy life, no, eczema, asthma, allergies, hayfever.(On top of her joints being in agony every day.. ) But we are just not so lucky as everyone else so its something we have to man up with and its taken a year but we are manning up!
Now there is a "cure" for the stupid people, its called reading and gaining some knowledge. I hope that they never have to face what us in the allergy community do.
