Latest news with #anaphylaxis
BBC News
3 hours ago
- Business
- BBC News
'Classmates threw Snickers at me to test my peanut anaphylaxis'
A woman from Brighton is raising awareness on social media of the severe food allergy she lives Dickson, 26, has anaphylaxis, a condition which causes her to go into anaphylactic shock when exposed to millions of views through her Peanut Free Zone social channels, she says she has received death threats and been called "selfish" due to "misunderstandings" about her allergy."In secondary school, kids didn't believe I'd react without eating something, so snapped Snickers bars in half and threw them at me," Ms Dickson told BBC South East. Posting videos to TikTok and Instagram, Ms Dickson showcases her daily life from taking trains and planes, to working at a café and documenting allergic episodes.A life-threatening reaction in a pub, when none of her friends knew how to use her EpiPen, was a "turning point" that compelled her to raise the profile of her Anaphylaxis UK says that about one in 50 children and one in 200 adults in the UK have a nut allergy, ranging from mild to life-threatening. Condition 'feels like a secret' Having worked in the hospitality industry since she was a teenager, Ms Dickson said she had been fired before as an employer wanted to serve dishes with said being told that she was "too high risk" by potential employers had been a "massive anxiety" and made her condition feel "like a secret".In response to critical online comments, she said: "I'm just a human and enjoy working in a café."I want to be doing fun and exciting things too."Working at Moksha Caffe in Brighton, which became a peanut-free space five years ago to accommodate her, she said management had been "incredible".Ms Dickson said her goal was to encourage Brighton hospitals to go peanut-free. Analysis of NHS data hospitalisations between 1998 and 2018 reveals that 86 (46%) fatalities out of 152 from food-induced anaphylaxis were triggered by peanut or tree nuts, according to research from the Food Standards Agency and Imperial College London. Peanut-free spaces In the UK, restaurants, cafés and takeaways serving "non-prepacked food" must provide accurate information on the major 14 allergens, following the Food Information Regulations Carey, a spokesperson from allergy campaign group Owen's Law, told BBC South East that best practice allergen information should "always be provided in writing at the point of ordering without the customer having to ask".He wants this to become law after his son, Owen, died during his 18th birthday celebrations after unknowingly eating a burger containing having dedicated peanut-free spaces for people like Chloe, Mr Carey said: "If people with allergies want to feel safe, then going to a place which is guaranteeing that can only be a good thing."
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
FDA Issues High-Risk Alert on Cookie Recall Over Allergen Concerns
A recent cookie recall has escalated, with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) now designating it as a Class I recall, which is the highest risk level. This move comes after New Grains Gluten Free Bakery identified that several of its baked goods, including four types of cookies, may contain undeclared allergens such as eggs, soy, or milk. According to Newsweek, the Class I designation signals that there's a reasonable chance the affected products could cause serious health consequences or even death. Millions of Americans live with food allergies or sensitivities, and undeclared allergens can trigger severe reactions, from mild discomfort to life-threatening anaphylaxis. The recall involves gluten-free varieties of Chocolate Chip, Frosted Sugar, Coconut Macaroon, and Brownie Chocolate Chip cookies, sold in clear plastic bags with net weights of four ounces, containing six or eight cookies per package. The packaging issues didn't just stop with missing allergen warnings. Lot codes and date codes were also unreadable or absent, complicating efforts to identify affected batches. The bakery's website states its mission is to 'create and deliver high-quality, healthy, and delicious gluten-free products,' but this incident has raised concerns over labeling and quality control. Compounding the issue, earlier this month, New Grains Gluten Free Bakery recalled several other products, including breads, bagels, and croutons, also due to undeclared allergens. Despite the scale of the recall, no illnesses have been reported as of now. Consumers who purchased the affected cookies are advised to return them to the point of sale for a full refund. For further information, New Grains Gluten Free Bakery can be reached at 801-980-5751 between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. MST, Monday through Friday. This recall serves as a critical reminder that food manufacturers must maintain stringent labeling standards, particularly when catering to consumers with allergies. As companies expand into gluten-free and specialty markets, the need for accurate and visible labeling is more important than Issues High-Risk Alert on Cookie Recall Over Allergen Concerns first appeared on Men's Journal on Jun 1, 2025
The Sun
26-05-2025
- Health
- The Sun
Mum's warning after daughter, 20, with severe peanut allergy died from eating a ‘couple of mouthfuls' of ready meal
A HEARTBROKEN mum has issued an urgent warning after her daughter, 20, died after eating a few mouthfuls of a ready meal. Jess North, who had a severe peanut allergy, tragically died from an anaphylactic reaction on May 9, 2021. 5 5 5 Devastated Mum Maxine, from Aldingbourne, West Sussex, told how she was preparing a Sunday roast when Jess decided she wanted something different. The youngster opted for a frozen sweet potato dish and said she had "had it before". Jess assumed she would be fine eating the ready meal, as she had done previously, despite the fact it did contain nuts. Maxine told The Argus her daughter had only consumed "a couple of mouthfuls" before ditching her plate. She was going out to meet a pal and kissed her parents goodbye before jumping in her car. "Within 10 minutes I received a phone call from Jess saying that she was having difficulty breathing," said Maxine. "The fear in her voice triggered something inside me and I knew that she was having an allergic reaction. "She was near Arundel on the A27, so I told her to pull over and administer her EpiPen, something she had never done before, but she knew how to use it. " The emotional parent told how she rushed with her husband to find their daughter. Meanwhile a passerby had seen Jess struggling at the roadside and thought she was having an asthma attack. My son texted me a picture of a snack he was enjoying… then his phone went silent – he'll never be the same again They gave her an inhaler before realising the 20-year-old was signalling for her EpiPen. "She was disoriented so the person took charge of the EpiPen and administered it into Jess' arm when in fact it should have gone into her thigh," continued Maxine. Paramedics eventually transported Jess to St Richards hospital in Chichester. After three days on life support, an MRI scan was performed and doctors told her family they wouldn't be able to assess damage until she woke up. The signs of an allergic reaction and anaphylaxis + what to do SYMPTOMS of an allergy usually occur within minutes of contact with with the offending food or trigger, but they can also come on up to one hour later. Most allergic reactions are mild but they can also be moderate or severe. Anaphylaxis is the most severe form of allergic reaction which can be life threatening. In some cases, anaphylaxis symptoms lead to collapse and unconsciousness and, on rare occasions, can be fatal so it's important to know how to recognise them and act quickly. Mild to moderate symptoms include: Itchy mouth, tongue and throat Swelling of lips, around the eyes or face Red raised itchy rash (often called nettle rash, hives or urticaria) Vomiting, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhoea Runny nose and sneezing Severe symptoms of anaphylaxis include: Swelling of your throat and tongue Difficulty breathing or breathing very fast Difficulty swallowing, tightness in your throat or a hoarse voice Wheezing, coughing or noisy breathing Feeling tired or confused Feeling faint, dizzy or fainting Skin that feels cold to the touch Blue, grey or pale skin, lips or tongue – if you have brown or black skin, this may be easier to see on the palms of your hands or soles of your feet Anaphylaxis and its symptoms should be treated as a medical emergency. Follow these steps if you think you or someone you're with is having an anaphylactic reaction: Use an adrenaline auto-injector (such as an EpiPen) if you have one – instructions are included on the side of the injector. Call 999 for an ambulance and say that you think you're having an anaphylactic reaction. Lie down – you can raise your legs, and if you're struggling to breathe, raise your shoulders or sit up slowly (if you're pregnant, lie on your left side). If you have been stung by an insect, try to remove the sting if it's still in the skin. If your symptoms have not improved after 5 minutes, use a second adrenaline auto-injector. Do not stand or walk at any time, even if you feel better. Sources: Allergy UK, NHS They tried to bring Jess off life support the following day, but the youngster showed no signs of becoming responsive. A further MRI scan tragically determined there was no brain activity. "I can't remember much from that point, all I knew was my beautiful baby had gone and our life had changed forever," said Maxine. The brave mum has since been on a mission to raise awareness over severe allergies - and in particular the lack of up to date epipens. After Jess' death, the family discovered she had a junior Epipen, instead of an adult one. Maxine's campaign has already seen her own GP start sending reminder alerts to patients with severe allergies. She has also been raising money for The Natasha Allergy Foundation, known as NARFS, which was set up in memory of Natasha Ednan-Laperouse. Natasha, 15, who was allergic to sesame, tragically died in 2016 after eating a Pret a Manger baguette containing the ingredient. Maxine will be completing a charity abseil down Peacehaven Cliffs in July. Donations will be put towards funding for Kitt Medical Devices with life-saving anaphylaxis treatment in schools and public places. A link to Maxine's GoFundMe can be found here. This comes after a traumatised mum told how her allergic son texted a picture of the snack he was enjoying before his phone went silent forever. George Cadman-Ithell sent a haunting message to his mum, Louise Cadman, with a picture of the cured sausages and wrote "these are nice". But just three minutes later, the 25-year-old sent a panicked text which read: "F***, they contain walnuts". Louise replied: "You've not eaten any have you?" to which her son said: "Yes". George hadn't spotted the "aux noix" labelling on the salami packaging, which also stated "with walnuts" in English. The young man had run home from the shops in just under 10 minutes, and husband Joe Nolan had administered an EpiPen. But tragically George went into cardiac arrest and his brain was starved of oxygen for 26 minutes, causing severe brain damage. He remains in a vegetative state at a rehabilitation unit at Northwick Park Hospital in Harrow, North West London. Elsewhere, a 12-year-old schoolgirl died suddenly after drinking a milkshake and her heartbroken family paid tribute. Mia Shay St Hilaire suffered a severe allergic reaction after visiting Pop Inn Café, in Bermondsey, London, with her aunt and sister in August 2023. The young girl, who had a tree nut allergy, was rushed to hospital after ingesting the contaminated drink but tragically died. Mia's devastated parents, Adrian and Chanel said: "We think of Mia every day and knowing her death could potentially have been prevented so simply, only adds to how heartbroken we are as a family.' Southwark Council's food and safety team discovered the blender used to make the 12-year-old's milkshake had not been cleaned properly. An investigation found traces of almonds and hazelnuts in the machine from a previous drink. CCTV evidence showed the café operator, Baris Yucel, failing to clean the blender before preparing Mia's beverage. He was given a 100-hour community order and fined £18,000. Natasha's Law By Ben Griffiths THE family of an allergy sufferer who died after eating a poorly-labelled Pret sandwich on a BA jet have told how they have forgiven the high street giant. Grieving Nad and Tanya Ednan-Laperouse, whose daughter Natasha died in 2016, have even praised the sandwich chain for leading the way in implementing new packaging rules. Natasha's Law - named after the 15-year-old - requires businesses to list every ingredient on pre-packaged food. In an exclusive interview, the family spoke of their "great pride" at getting the historic new regulations in place. They mean an item like the artichoke, olive and tapenade baguette, which Natasha died after eating, will now have to list all 34 ingredients - instead of the THREE it displayed five years ago. Speaking to The Sun on Sunday, Tanya, who with Nad has won an OBE for her work in getting the law passed, said: "I know that Natasha would be ever so pleased this law is coming into force and we've managed to get it passed. "You can't do anything if you are filled with hate so we have forgiven Pret. It doesn't make up for the fact she is not here now but Pret have actually led the way on changing their packaging. "They've spent millions getting their packaging in line and educating staff on allergies. "The new law means tens of millions of sandwiches across the UK will now have to detail everything it contains from the small trace of ingredients." Natasha was on her way to Nice, in France, for a summer holiday with Nad and her best friend Bethany Holloway in July 2016 when she bought the baguette from Pret a Manger at Heathrow Airport. It contained hidden sesame seeds, something she was allergic to but the ingredient was not labelled on the packet. Shortly after take-off, Natasha had a reaction. Nad rushed her to the toilet and gave her two shots of adrenaline from her EpiPens which he expected would fight off the reaction. Her last words were 'I can't breathe, I'm suffocating, help me Daddy', before she suffered a fatal heart attack. An inquest in 2018 into Natasha's death blasted Pret for its 'inadequate' labelling and fault in Natasha's death, making the company vow to make a 'meaningful change'. Nad and Tanya launch their mission to get a law changed after the inquest. It now means any fresh item prepared on the premises of sale will now have to list every ingredient it contains. To visit the Natasha Allergy Research Foundation go to 5 5
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Mum describes moment daughter suffered fatal allergic reaction from frozen dinner
A mother whose daughter tragically died from a severe allergic reaction has told of the horrific moment as she campaigns to prevent further deaths. Jess North, who was just 20 years old, died after unknowingly eating a food that contained nuts which triggered a fatal anaphylactic reaction. Speaking for the first time publicly since the loss of her daughter, Jess's mother Maxine described the devastating evening at their Aldingbourne home: 'Our world fell apart on Sunday 9th May 2021. "I was 20 minutes from dishing up the Sunday roast when Jess decided that she didn't want the meat that was on the menu. (Image: Maxine North) "The kitchen was a hive of activity, so I asked her to look in the freezer to see if there was something that she could have in its place. "She pulled out a pre-made shop bought sweet potato dish saying that she had it before." Jess had a peanut allergy. Tragically the dish did contain nuts but as Jess had eaten it before she thought it was ok. Maxine added: "Once seated for dinner Jess took a couple of mouthfuls of the sweet potato and said she didn't like it, pushed it to one side and ate the vegetables. "She ate quickly as she was going out to meet a friend for the evening which she was looking forward to. "She went upstairs, gathered her things, kissed me and her father goodbye and drove off. "Within 10 minutes I received a phone call from Jess saying that she was having difficulty breathing. (Image: Maxine North) "The fear in her voice triggered something inside me and I knew that she was having an allergic reaction. "She was near Arundel on the A27, so I told her to pull over and administer her epipen, something she had never done before, but she knew how to use it. "Once administered I told her to dial 999, as they would be able to locate her exact position through her phone. "It takes about 8 minutes to get to Arundel from our home, I have no recollection of how my husband and I got there. "It's a complete blur. En route we also dialled the emergency services but had no idea where her location was. "They told us that an ambulance had been dispatched to an emergency in Arundel, but they couldn't say what or who it was for. (Image: Maxine North) "In the meantime, Jess managed to pull into a side road where somebody saw her from their window struggling and went out to help. "The person thought she was having an asthma attack and rushed to get their inhaler. Once the person returned, Jess motioned towards her epipens. "She was disoriented so the person took charge of the epipen and administered it into Jess' arm when in fact it should have gone into her thigh. "When we arrived on the scene the paramedics were there. "A scene I will never forget. Jess was taken to St Richards in Chichester. "We had to wait for what seemed like an eternity while they stabilized Jess. She had stopped breathing twice on-route. "For the first 3 days she was on life support. "On the third day they performed an MRI scan to determine what was going on. "That evening we were told that she was fine, but they couldn't reassure us what damage had been done until she woke up. "The next day they slowly began to withdraw the medication for Jess to wake up, but they soon became concerned as she wasn't showing any signs of doing so. "Another MRI scan was performed at the bedside, and we were told later that day that in fact there was no brain activity. "I can't remember much from that point, all I knew was my beautiful baby had gone and our life had changed forever." Jess's parents were then told by doctors there was nothing more they could do. Maxine said the loss of Jess has deeply affected everyone who knew and described Jess as someone who 'always championed the underdog'. Despite living with the severe allergy throughout her life, Jess never allowed it to define her, her mother said. Maxine emphasised that Jess faced this challenge with remarkable resilience. She explained: 'It is always a worry, any allergy parent will tell you that. 'But it did not define us, but we would always ask for an allergen list and would be extremely careful but we still lived life. "We went away to places like Thailand, and it was ok." After experiencing first hand the devastating impact of severe allergies, Maxine has become an advocate for allergy awareness. Over the past few years, Maxine has not only raised funds to drive change but has also implemented it within her own community. Upon discovering that many allergy sufferers lacked access to up to date EpiPens, she reached out to her GP to explore solutions and prevent such situations in the future. Maxine said: 'My GP has now started sending alerts to patients with severe allergies. 'Jess had a junior EpiPen instead of an adult EpiPen. (Image: Maxine North) 'They now contact people each year to make sure their EpiPens are up to date, sending them an alert. As well as driving change locally - Maxine has dedicated herself to raising funds for charities that advocate for better allergy education and policy change, in particular The Natasha Allergy Foundation also known as NARFS. To further her mission, this July Maxine is undertaking an abseil down the Peacehaven Cliffs. Proceeds from the abseil will support NARF, as well as the installation of Kitt Medical Devices which are life-saving anaphylaxis treatment systems in schools and public spaces. These devices ensure that emergency allergy medication is readily available, potentially saving lives in critical situations. A link to Maxine's upcoming abseil fundraiser can be found here :
The Sun
18-05-2025
- Health
- The Sun
I ended up in A&E when a colleague breathed on me after using toothpaste
A WOMAN allergic to mint was rushed to hospital after a colleague accidentally breathed on her after using toothpaste. Archaeologist Kyleigh Digiovanni, 25, went into anaphylactic shock. 3 3 She said: 'I was in for a few hours. "They pumped me with antihistamine and adrenaline.' Kyleigh, who is from the US but lives in York, was diagnosed with her allergy aged ten. She said: 'Public transport is like playing Russian roulette with five bullets in a chamber. 'If I take a train, I wear a mask. "I was on the Underground and people were chewing gum. "All they have to do is just walk past me and that sets me off.' She added: 'It took two years to find a toothpaste brand that was safe. 'I wasn't brushing my teeth for all of that time.' 3
