Do you still remember Howard from "The Big Bang Theory"? In the play, Howard was severely allergic after accidentally eating oats containing peanuts, and his whole body immediately swelled up.
A tiny peanut almost killed Howard? One can't help but wonder whether Howard offended the screenwriter halfway, but in fact this was not an artistic exaggeration, the reality was worse than him.
According to the Associated Press report on January 26, on the 11th, 25-year-old British professional dancer Orla Bassendale died of severe peanut allergy after eating cookies in New York, USA.
In April 2021, according to US media reports, an actress named Giacalone suffered anaphylactic shock due to an allergic reaction to peanut butter pretzels, and caused permanent brain damage due to improper rescue.
Why did just eating ordinary peanuts have such a big reaction, even death?
In fact, there are not a few people who are allergic to food. If you accidentally eat allergic food and have an allergic reaction, what first aid measures should we take? Today, let’s talk about allergies...
Peanut allergy has a high fatality rate
According to statistics, one in 20 children worldwide is allergic to food, while the ratio of food allergies among adults is 50:1, with major allergies In addition to peanuts, it also includes seafood, milk and eggs.
As one of the important food allergens, peanuts can cause extremely severe allergic symptoms. In severe cases, respiratory obstruction may lead to shock.
statistics show that 90% of deaths caused by food allergies are caused by peanuts. In the UK, one in 200 people are allergic to peanuts. Some people can develop severe allergic reactions from even tiny amounts of peanuts or peanut oil.
Why do food allergies occur?
Food allergy refers to the body's abnormal immune response to the food eaten.
Generally after we eat, our body will digest and absorb the food.
But for people with allergies, food is a foreign body that can be attacked, just like bacteria and viruses. The human body will produce specific antibodies against them. The antibodies will attack the next time they eat this food. Cause local or systemic allergic reactions.
The World Health Organization report shows that on average, one in every four people in the world suffers from allergic diseases, of which food-related allergies account for a large part, and the number of people is increasing year by year.
What are the symptoms of food allergies?
1. Skin symptoms
Symptoms of food allergy are most likely to appear on the skin, such as skin flushing, itching, congestion, urticaria, and angioedema.
2. Gastrointestinal symptoms
Gastrointestinal symptoms are also common after food allergies, such as nausea, vomiting, bloating, abdominal cramps and diarrhea.
3. Nervous system symptoms
Some people have allergic reactions in the nervous system, causing fatigue, anxiety, dizziness, and headaches. In severe cases, hypotension, anaphylactic shock, unconsciousness, difficulty breathing, etc. may occur, and may even be life-threatening.
4. Respiratory symptoms
People with severe allergies may also develop respiratory symptoms, such as laryngeal edema, hoarseness, suffocation, etc., which are the main causes of death.
It is worth noting that the above situations can occur individually or simultaneously.
What foods may cause allergies?
In terms of sheer quantity, there are hundreds of foods that can cause allergies in the human body.
However, the following foods are highly allergenic and are more likely to cause allergies in the human body, so you must pay attention.
Milk and eggs
Milk and eggs are the foods most likely to cause allergies in young children.
The reaction after allergic reaction is not only manifested on the skin, but may also be accompanied by adverse symptoms such as digestive tract, such as diarrhea, vomiting, etc.
Seafood
Seafood is a common food allergy to both children and adults, especially stale seafood, which is more likely to induce allergies.
Oil crops
The number of people allergic to sesame and peanuts is not as high as that of milk and eggs, but they can cause severe anaphylactic shock and even death.
Wheat and cereals
A small number of people will have allergic reactions to wheat and cereals, mainly in teenagers and adults after the age of 10.
Any food may cause allergic reactions because everyone's body is different.
People who are allergic to strawberries and peaches (mostly to the fuzz on the surface) will develop symptoms such as erythema, itching, and urticaria all over the body after eating strawberries or peaches.
People who are allergic to pineapple may experience itching, flushing, numbness of the limbs, mouth and tongue 15 minutes to 1 hour after eating pineapple. In severe cases, symptoms such as difficulty breathing and shock may occur.
Why are allergies life-threatening?
Allergic reaction, also known as allergic reaction, is a reaction that starts quickly after exposure to an allergen and affects a single system or the whole body. The clinical symptoms of patients are mainly manifested in the skin, respiratory, digestive and circulatory systems, and severe cases can be life-threatening. Allergy to certain drugs is the most common cause of allergic reactions, followed by allergic reactions caused by inhaled allergens and food allergens.
Anaphylactic shock is a symptom caused by the action of specific allergens that are generally harmless to the human body on patients with allergic constitution. Such allergens are diverse and can act on different systems of the body, such as the respiratory system, digestive system, blood circulation system, etc. Usually, specific allergens will only cause allergic reactions in certain tissues and organs, and whether they will cause shock is related to the differences in the patient's own constitution. Anaphylactic shock is a severe allergic disease.
When the sensitized body is exposed to the corresponding allergic substance again, mast cells and basophils in the blood and tissues release inflammatory mediators such as histamine and bradykinin, causing dilation of small blood vessels throughout the body and vascular permeability. Increase, leading to a systemic immediate allergic reaction dominated by peripheral circulatory hypoperfusion, also known as type I hypersensitivity reaction. In severe cases, in addition to the symptoms of shock, there are often signs such as laryngeal edema, tracheospasm, and pulmonary edema. The cause of death was sudden undetectable blood pressure, followed by respiratory arrest, cardiac arrest, and severe laryngeal edema leading to suffocation.
Once a patient suffers from anaphylactic shock, on-site rescue is very critical. The onset of this disease is acute and dangerous. If treated promptly and appropriately, the patient's symptoms will be relieved quickly. But if emergency treatment is not done, it often leads to death of the patient.
What should you do if you have a food allergy?
First of all, stay away from allergens.
There will be no harm without contact. Staying away from allergens is the best clinical "treatment" method.
If you often have allergic symptoms, it is recommended to go to the hospital for appropriate examinations to find out the source of allergens, and then pay more attention in daily life to reduce the chance of food allergies.
In addition, you can keep some anti-allergy medicines at home to relieve symptoms in time.
Secondly, try the food in small amounts first.
Children generally have poor immunity, and eating fruits is more likely to cause allergic reactions.
Food allergies may affect children's growth and development, easily lead to asthma, and increase the risk of later respiratory allergic diseases.
Therefore, once a child has an allergic reaction, he should stop eating immediately and rinse his mouth quickly.
When feeding your children daily, you can try a small amount first.
Generally speaking, as children grow older and their body's immunity becomes stronger, they will have fewer and fewer allergic reactions to food.
Furthermore, seek medical treatment promptly.
General skin itching and erythema may subside on their own or may be relieved by taking anti-allergy medication.
Once systemic symptoms appear, such as cyanosis, laryngeal edema, difficulty breathing, and loss of consciousness, you should seek medical treatment immediately to avoid life-threatening injuries.
Finally, be sure to wash the fruit before eating it.
Some fruits cause allergic reactions, possibly due to pesticide residues on the surface or the use of additives.
Therefore, before eating fruit, be sure to clean the outer skin of the fruit or peel it directly to reduce the risk of food allergies.
What should I do if I accidentally eat food that can cause severe allergies?
People with food allergies that may trigger life-threatening symptoms such as choking or shock should carry an epinephrine auto-injector pen with them. For severe life-threatening food allergies, the golden period of rescue is only half an hour or even a few minutes. Rescue must be carried out through intramuscular injection of epinephrine before suffocation, shock, etc. occur.
(Reference materials: Overseas Network, International Online, International Science, Xinhua News Agency, Public Health Magazine, Healthy China, Popular Science China, Beijing Science Center, etc.)
topic host | Reporter Liang Zeming
