We would like to thank everyone for their efforts to help bring awareness to food induced anaphylaxis.  While Food Allergy Awareness Week (FAAW) is celebrated for only one week, families living with food and other anaphylactic allergies manage their health disability everyday.  Please keep up the efforts of bringing awareness and helping others.  Thank  you!

An allergic reaction can happen anytime, anywhere, even several minutes after eating.  If you suspect your friend is having an allergic reaction, get help immediately!  Symptoms of an allergic reaction can include one or a combination of the following:

• Hives
• Itching (of any part of the body)
• Swelling (of any part of the body)
• Red, watery eyes
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Stomach cramps
• Change of voice
• Coughing
• Wheezing
• Throat tightness or closing
• Difficulty swallowing
• Difficulty breathing
• Sense of doom
• Dizziness or loss of consciousness (signs that blood pressure has dropped)
• Change of color
  

If your food allergic friend is showing these signs, call 911 or tell an adult immediately.  OneSpotAllergy has a great script card to help with what to say to emergency personnel.  

Below is a document explaining anaphylaxis, the signs and symptoms and a few myths. 

Ask your family member, friend or co-worker what they are allergic to. Then help them avoid the allergen(s).  Remind your allergic friend to check ingredient lists on food labels.  If there is any question about the safety of the food, it's best not to eat it.  It beats a trip to the hospital!  So remember you can help your friend by reminding them to stop, read labels and be safe!

The NIAID announced that they will be conducting a new research study on how the immune system responds to food allergens.  They are seeking individuals 18-65 years of age who either has 1) Eosinophil-associatd gastrointestinal disorders (EGIDs) including eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) or eosinophilic gastroenteritis (EG) or 2) a peanut or milk allergy with severe symptoms such as hives, wheezing or throat closing.  For more information including how to participate, see: http://www.niaid.nih.gov/volunteer/ee/Pages/Default.aspx?utm_source=GD&utm_medium=email&utm_content=Volunteer&utm_campaign=FAAW and here:  http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01212016?term=NCT01212016&rank=1.

Wash your hands after you eat.  Ideally, you should wash your hands before AND after you eat  (a great hygiene practice!).  It seems like such a simple act but doing so can help keep your allergic friend from coming in contact with a possible allergen that you may have on your hands.  For example, if you ate a peanut butter sandwich and your fingers are smeared with peanut butter this could pose as a risk for your peanut allergic friend.  If you touched a doorknob, then your peanut allergic friend touches the same doorknob and put his/her hands in their mouth (to wiggle a tooth or bite nails), this could cause an allergic reaction.  To minimize the risk of exposure washing your hands after you eat will help keep your allergic friend safe!

Sharing is a kind gesture, showing how much you care. However, there happens to be a point when sharing can pose as a danger.  Individuals with food allergies must avoid their allergen in order to avoid a possible allergic reaction.  The risk is in not knowing whether what you may be offering could contain an allergen, or could be cross contaminated with an allergen.  It is not worth the risk.  

Food allergies are very serious.  It can be difficult to believe that the very food we need to nurture our bodies, can cause great harm to some, even death.  If you know someone with a food allergies, whether it is a friend at school or a co-worker, please take it very seriously.  Refrain from joking about food allergies or making fun of the person with food allergies.  Never trick anyone into eating a food they are allergic to either.  This is very dangerous for the food allergic individual.  The best thing to do is help the person with the food allergy, even if you don't understand why they have to avoid a food.  You can help save a life by helping your allergic friend avoid exposure.  Even the smallest gesture of support could be the biggest help.

Thank you to WTOP for helping spread awareness about food allergies this FAAW.  Please visit their website to read an interview with LAN Chairperson, Thanita Glancey.  Listen to an audio clip of the interview as well.  Included in this report is an interview with a parent who's peanut allergic child will be entering kindergarten, links for FAAW materials, and an informative video from FAI.http://www.wtop.com/?nid=120&sid=2863555

This day also marks the first day of Food Allergy Awareness Week (FAAW).  Please take the time to celebrate FAAW by doing one thing to bring awareness or to help another family that may be struggling with their loved one's diagnosis of anaphylaxis.  Visit our FAAW page for ideas.

From FAAN, "We are pleased to inform you that the nation’s two leading food allergy organizations are uniting to advance a cure and promote education for food allergy. The Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN) and the Food Allergy Initiative (FAI) today announced their intent to merge, pending regulatory approvals.

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The merger will combine FAAN’s expertise as the most trusted source of information, programs, and resources related to food allergy and anaphylaxis with FAI’s leadership as the world’s largest private source of funding for food allergy research.  The unified organization will focus on funding research to find a cure, advocating for individuals with food allergies, increasing awareness about the severity and growing prevalence of food allergies, and educating the public and other key stakeholders about the disease and the urgent need for a cure."

Read the full article:
http://www.foodallergy.org/page/faan-and-fai-announce-intent-to-merge
and
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/leading-food-allergy-organizations-unite-to-combat-the-rising-food-allergy-crisis-2012-05-09