2. Food Allergies
A food allergy occurs when your immune system mistakenly
treats something in a certain food as harmful to you.
Antibodies to something in the food cause mast cells to release
chemicals into the bloodstream. One of these chemicals is
histamine.
The histamine then causes symptoms that affect a person's
eyes, nose, throat, respiratory system, skin, and digestive
system.
A person with a food allergy could have a mild reaction or it
could be more severe. An allergic reaction could happen right
away or a few hours after the person eats it.
3. Signs/Symptoms
Doctors believe that allergies could be hereditary. Some kids are
born allergic to certain foods, whereas others develop food
allergies over time. This may be due to someone's surroundings
or changes in the body as they grow older.
Some of the first signs that a person may be having an allergic
reaction could be a runny nose, an itchy skin rash such as hives,
or a tingling in the tongue or lips.
Other signs include:
- tightness in the throat, hoarse voice, wheezing, cough, nausea,
vomiting, stomach pain, diarrhea
4. Signs/Symptoms
In the most serious casesa food allergy can cause anaphylaxis; a
sudden severe allergic reaction in which several problems occur
all at once. A person's blood pressure can drop, breathing tubes
can narrow, and the tongue can swell.
People at risk for this kind of a reaction have to be very careful
and need a plan for handling emergencies. They may need to
get special medicine to stop these symptoms from getting
worse.
Many kids outgrow allergies to milk and eggs as they grow
older. But severe allergies to foods like peanuts, certain kinds of
fish, and shrimp often last a lifetime.
5. Management
There is no special medicine for food allergies. Some can be
outgrown, and others a child will have his or her whole life. The best
treatment is simply to avoid the food itself and any foods or drinks
that contain the food.
One way to figure that out is to read food labels. Any foods that might
cause an allergic reaction will be listed near or in the ingredient list.
Doctors and allergy organizations also can help by providing lists of
safe foods and unsafe foods.
No matter how hard you try, you may eat the wrong thing by
accident. Stay calm and follow your emergency plan. The plan should
include what to do, who to tell, and which medicines to take if you
have a reaction.
For serious reactions, people may need a shot of epinephrine with
them. This kind of epinephrine injection comes in an easy-to-carry
container that looks like a pen. It is important to identify a person who
will give you the shot.
6. Management
PARENTS MUST TEACH CHILDREN:
How to recognize the symptoms of an allergic reaction
How to communicate clearly as soon as possible when a reaction begins
How to read labels
To avoid food-sharing at lunch time
To stress the importance of handwashing before and after eating
To report teasing, bullying and threats to an adult authority
To not share their auto-injector devices with other students
How to say "no thank you" when offered food not from home.
7. Food Allergies at School
As a teacher you need to be prepared when notified of a child’s food
allergy. If the student is younger they may not know how to tell if certain
foods contain things they are allergic to or not. You must keep the child
under close observation and know the parent’s Food Allergy Action Plan
(FAAP) for the child.
The parent's first job is to develop an Individualized Health Care Plan
(IHCP) that should include reports from primary health-care providers or
allergy specialists that details the student's allergy and medication
program.The FAAP provides informed consent and contact numbers for
parents, guardians, and health care providers.Parents should review the
IHCP and FAAP with the school nurse and classroom teacher each year
prior to the opening of school.
Parents must provide schools with a minimum of two up-to-date
EpiPens® or Twinject® devices and be sure that these devices are stored in
an unlocked cabinet and accessible to all school personnel during and after
school hours. Parents should provide safe snacks for classroom parties and
whenever possible, accompany food-allergic children on field trips.
8. Food Allergies at School
The school plays a vital role in training personnel and setting up
systems to keep food allergic children safe at school, and to
promptly respond when a reaction occurs.
As a teacher of a child with a severe food allergy you may be
given the responsibility of being the first responder. The biggest
decision for the first responder will be whether or not to
administer injectableepinephrine. Often there is hesitancy and a
delay in administering epinephrine.
When in doubt about whether to give epinephrine, it is better to
give it immediately and then seek additional medical attention
as most fatal reactions occur when epinephrine is delayed.
Anyone who requires epinephrine in the school setting should
be transported to an emergency room for additional evaluation
and treatment.
9. Sources
Nemours KidsHealth. Food Allergies. Retrieved from
http://kidshealth.org/kid/health_problems/allergiesimmune
/food_allergies.html#
Kids with Food Allergies Foundation. (April 2010)
Managing Food Allergies at School. Retrieved from
http://www.kidswithfoodallergies.org/resourcespre.php?i
d=84
