Getting The Food Allergy Help You Need

Many parents are looking for food allergy help for their children, even when their doctors say there is none. "With most parents, when your child says they don't feel well, you are calm and you say, 'tell me how you feel,'" explains Anne Munoz-Furlong, founder of the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network. "But if your child has a food allergy, your heart stops. That's an awful way to live." Treatment for food allergy reactions ranges from Benadryl and topical medications, to a shot of epinephrine and clinical therapy.  

When an acute emergency situation occurs, parents of kids with food allergies must get help immediately. First, parents must recognize the signs and symptoms of anaphylactic shock, such as difficulty breathing, wheezing, light-headedness, confusion, rapid swelling, hives, blue skin, severe abdominal pain, severe nausea and/or diarrhea. Shellfish and peanut allergies usually have the most severe reactions. Second, parents must call 9-1-1 or drive their child to the hospital immediately, phoning to let them know they're coming so special support can be set up in advance. Patients whose doctors have identified them as high-risk candidates for anaphylactic shock often provide them with an Epi-Pen, which will deliver a dose of epinephrine/adrenalin to save a person who has lost consciousness. Lastly, parents must know how to administer CPR in the event that their child loses consciousness or stops breathing.

In addition to the short-term emergency treatments, there are currently three long-term experimental treatments that could offer food allergy help for patients. "This is the first time that we have a number of studies going on at the same time," says Anne Munoz-Furlong, founder of the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network. "This is huge for the food allergy community. We finally can say that probably in 10 years, the landscape will look very different than it does now." For milk, peanut and egg allergies, researchers are proposing oral immunotherapy, which has patients swallowing tiny but incremental increases of the food they're allergic to, under doctor supervision, to build tolerance. For various food allergies, a similar technique called sublingual therapy (drops containing proteins that trigger allergies placed under the tongue) is being used. Lastly, adults and kids with a shellfish, tree nut, fish or peanut allergy are being given the Food Allergy Herbal Formula-2 (FAHF-2) pill.

If you would like more comprehensive food allergy help, you can find local resources through the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network or the Food Allergy Initiative. Here you will find support groups, food-related allergy recipes, activism events, research updates, literature downloads and methods for coping with allergy symptoms at home, school and restaurants. Once you're armed with enough allergy information, you'll feel more prepared for dealing with whatever life throws your way.

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