Latest news with #foodAllergy
Health Line
19 hours ago
- Health
- Health Line
Tips for Avoiding Dangerous Allergic Reactions
The best way to prevent an allergic reaction is to know your triggers and avoid them whenever possible. It's also important to carry epinephrine and know what to do if you have a reaction. The job of your immune system is to protect you from outside invaders like viruses and bacteria. But your immune system sometimes produces antibodies in response to substances that are not harmful at all, such as certain foods or medications. This immune system response to a usually harmless irritant or allergen is called an allergic reaction. Most allergies are not severe — they're just annoying. Common symptoms include itchy or watery eyes, sneezing, and a runny nose. Avoiding allergic reactions The only sure way to prevent a severe allergic reaction is to completely avoid your triggers. This may sound like a nearly impossible task, but there are several ways to reduce your risk. The steps you can take to protect yourself depend on the type of allergy you have. The most common severe allergies are those to: insect bites and stings foods medications Avoiding insect bites and stings When you're allergic to insect venom, outdoor activities can become stressful. Here are some tips to help prevent bites and stings: Avoid wearing fragrant perfumes, deodorants, and lotions. Always wear shoes when walking outdoors. Avoid drinking soda from a can since insects can become trapped inside. Avoid wearing bright, patterned clothing. Cover food when eating outside. Avoiding medication reactions Always tell your doctor and pharmacist about any drug allergies you have. If you have a penicillin allergy, they might tell you to avoid taking similar antibiotics, such as amoxicillin (Moxatag). If the drug is necessary — such as a contrast dye for a CT scan — your doctor might prescribe a corticosteroid or antihistamines before administering the drug. Certain types of drugs are more likely to cause severe allergic reactions, including: Avoiding food reactions Avoiding food allergens can be difficult if you don't prepare everything you eat yourself. When at a restaurant, ask detailed questions about the ingredients in the food, and don't be afraid to ask for substitutions. When buying packaged food, read labels carefully. Most packaged foods now have warnings on the label if they contain common allergens. When eating at a friend's house, be sure to tell them about any food allergies ahead of time. Common food allergies Many common food allergens can cause severe reactions in certain people. Some of them are used as ingredients in a wide variety of foods. Examples include: milk eggs soy wheat Other foods can be dangerous because of the risk of cross contamination, which occurs when foods come into contact with an allergen before you consume them. Potential sources of cross contamination include: fish shellfish peanuts tree nuts Anaphylaxis Anaphylaxis is a life threatening allergic reaction that can occur immediately after you're exposed to an allergen. It affects your whole body. Various tissues throughout your body release histamines and other chemicals, causing dangerous symptoms such as: narrowed airways and difficulty breathing a sudden drop in blood pressure shock swelling of your face or tongue vomiting or diarrhea chest pain heart palpitations slurred speech loss of consciousness Risk factors Though anaphylaxis is hard to predict, certain risk factors can increase your risk of a severe allergic reaction, including: a history of anaphylaxis a history of allergies or asthma a family history of severe allergic reactions If you've had a severe reaction at least once, you're more likely to experience anaphylaxis in the future. Other ways to stay safe Avoiding any known triggers is the best way to prevent severe allergic reactions, but they may sometimes occur despite your best efforts. Here are some ways to help yourself in the event of a severe allergic reaction: Make sure friends and family know about your allergies and know what to do in an emergency. Wear a medical ID bracelet that lists your allergies. Never participate in outdoor activities alone if you have a severe insect allergy. Carry an epinephrine auto-injector or a bee sting kit at all times. Put 911 on speed dial and keep your phone with you. Takeaway Knowing your allergy triggers and avoiding them as much as possible is the best way to reduce your risk of a severe allergic reaction. However, depending on your allergy type, you might not always be able to avoid allergen exposure. It's important that you know how to use epinephrine and carry it with you at all times. You also need to tell people about your allergies and ensure that your loved ones and others you spend time with know how to help you if you have a reaction.
RNZ News
2 days ago
- General
- RNZ News
Otago University hall stops serving special dietary requirement food after label mishap
Otago University is not serving any special dietary requirement food to live-in students while an investigation is underway. Photo: RNZ / Nate McKinnon Caterers providing meals for live-in students at an Otago University hall have stopped serving food to those with special dietary requirements while an investigation is carried out. The university said on 6 June a Te Rangihīroa College resident with an egg allergy ate a slice of cake at lunchtime which was incorrectly labelled as not containing eggs. It said it had brought in an independent consultant and the Ministry of Primary Industries was investigating its procedures around managing food allergies. RNZ has seen a message addressed to hall residents via social media that advised those with allergens could no longer be catered for by the hall for an unknown period of time. The message said they would instead need to have their breakfast, lunch and dinner meals in the nearby St Margaret's College, and a van had been scheduled to take students there during meal times. Te Rangihīroa College is one of 11 residential colleges managed by the university, while St Margaret's College is one of four university-affiliated colleges, governed independently. Otago University acting chief operating officer Jared Hayes confirmed Te Rangihīroa was not preparing or serving any special dietary requirement food while the university worked through what had happened. "St Margaret's is an independent college and has helpfully agreed to provide our special dietary students with food until the situation has been resolved. There was a van provided to help students get to St Margaret's," he said. "They had breakfast at St Margaret's, but individually wrapped meals are now being brought into Te Rangihīroa to reduce the impact on students." Hayes said the arrangement would last "as long as is necessary". Students with special dietary needs at Te Rangihīroa make up about 30 of the 450 residents. Hayes said the university accepted blame for the incident. "It is very disappointing and regrettable that this incident has occurred. We have policies and processes in place to prevent this," he said. "This was an unfortunate incident of human error. There was an error in declaring the ingredients in a food item. "College and University leadership met with the student to discuss the situation and their wellbeing. We remain in close contact with them and are continuing to provide support." A Te Rangihīroa resident told RNZ students with the special dietary requirements were initially being served food after the incident, but those students would have to wait around an hour longer than others. Hayes said arrangements had to be made at short notice to feed those students while the university got a full understanding of the situation. Some students had expressed concern about the situation, which the university understood, he said. "An email has been sent to all affected students offering assistance to apply for special consideration for exams if they believe this is necessary," he said. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
