According to a January 26 report from the Associated Press quoted by Overseas Network, 25-year-old British professional dancer Orla Bassendale died of severe peanut allergy in New York recently after eating cookies.
Recently, this news has been on the hot search
and triggered heated discussions among netizens
British dancer Orla Bassendale (Source: Orla social media)
Reports said that the 25-year-old Orla is a An accomplished ballet, modern and Irish dancer who has performed at New York Fashion Week and Lincoln Center.
It is reported that the biscuits involved were not labeled as containing peanut ingredients.
The retailer involved announced on the 23rd that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has intervened in the matter and will recall vanilla Florentine cookies sold at stores in Danbury and Newington, Connecticut, from November 6 to December 31, 2023. The company said it has sold about 500 packages of holiday cookies.
Vanilla Florentine biscuits not labeled "containing peanuts" (Source: social media)
Just ate ordinary peanuts, would there be such a big reaction, even death? In fact, there are not a few people who are allergic to food. Severe allergic symptoms may lead to shock due to respiratory obstruction.
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. According to
data, about 30%-40% of people around the world are troubled by various allergies, of which about 250 million people have food allergies.
According to statistics, one in 20 children worldwide is allergic to food, while the ratio of food allergies among adults is 50:1. In addition to peanuts, major allergens include 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, 1 in 200 people are allergic to peanuts. Some people can develop severe allergic reactions from even tiny amounts of peanuts or peanut oil.
What foods may cause allergies?
In terms of sheer quantity, there are hundreds of foods that can cause human allergies. However, the following foods are highly allergenic and are more likely to cause allergies in the human body, so be careful.
■ Milk and eggs
Milk and eggs are the foods most likely to cause allergies in young children. Post-allergic reactions are not only manifested on the skin, but may also be accompanied by gastrointestinal and other adverse symptoms, such as diarrhea, vomiting, etc.
■ Seafood
Seafood is a relatively 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 an allergic reaction 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 limbs, mouth and tongue 15 minutes to 1 hour after eating pineapple. In severe cases, symptoms such as difficulty breathing and shock may occur.
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 that occur 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.
Who should be wary of food allergies?
1. People with allergies
People with allergies are prone to allergic reactions, so they need to pay more attention to their diet and avoid contact with allergens in daily life.
2. People with a family history of allergies
Allergies are hereditary to a certain extent. If one or both parents have a history of allergies, their children will have a higher incidence rate than ordinary people.
3. Infants
The incidence of allergies in infants and children is higher than that of adults. The age group with high incidence of food allergies is 4-6 months old.
How to prevent food allergies?
At present, allergies cannot be cured, but you can reduce the occurrence of allergies or alleviate the symptoms of allergies by paying attention to your diet and improving your immunity. Food allergies can be effectively prevented by doing the following:
1. Perform allergen screening
People prone to allergies should take the initiative to go to relevant medical institutions for food allergen screening, avoid contact with allergens that cause allergies, and follow the doctor's instructions Medical advice.
2. Do not eat foods containing allergenic substances
Do not eat foods containing allergenic substances. Pay attention to check the labels of allergens before purchasing food.
3. Balanced nutrition and appropriate exercise
Pay attention to dietary nutrition, supplement enough protein, vitamins and other substances, and conduct appropriate physical exercise to improve your own immunity.
There is currently no effective treatment for food allergies. Once a food allergy is diagnosed, the best way to treat it is to actively avoid that food and any food that contains the ingredient.
Doctors remind you that once you find "signs" of food allergy, you must see a doctor in time to check for allergens to avoid serious allergic reactions.
Source: Comprehensive News Morning News, Overseas Network, Yangcheng School, Health Times, News Square, China News Service, etc.
