Food Allergies: Teens play with fire!
Shuffle labels, forgetfulness emergency medicines … Teens with food allergies taking great risks with their health. At a time when love is often lost his head, kissing spirited can also be dangerous if they contain allergens. How to reconcile Allergy and adolescence?
Two studies presented at the 2006 convention of the American Association of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology suggest the particular situation facing teenagers with food allergies.
1. Teenagers take too many risks
The researchers enrolled 174 allergic aged 13-21 years: three quarters were allergic to peanuts, 82% had suffered an anaphylactic shock and 52% had even had at least three. Recall that anaphylactic shock are very serious allergic reactions, against which an injection of adrenaline should be done as soon as possible thanks to self-injection kits (Anahelp Anapen ® or ®). To learn how these teens manage this risk, U.S. researchers have asked to answer a questionnaire 1. And the answers are surprising:
- Only 74% of adrenaline constantly on them. If they are a large majority to embark on a journey (94%), they are only two out of three to have on them when they go to visit friends, one in two when wearing clothes stretch (51%) and even less when they are of Sport (43%);
- If three quarters all the time watching the food labels, 42% admit they eat anyway if they mention “may contain traces of allergens;
- Four in ten teenagers have not talked about their allergy to their friends, while 68% believe that educating their families would make their disease easier to live.
All these points underscore the importance of good educational therapy for a disease, which remains the main treatment Allergen avoidance of food.
2. The toothbrush does not remove allergens!
In November 2005, a teenager of 14 years died allergy after kissing her friend who had eaten peanut butter. Although the autopsy has since refuted this, the risk of “kiss allergic” do exist, although most do not end dramatique2.
More worrying still, a recent study proves that the allergens can remain in the mouth for many hours3. After eating two peanut butter sandwiches to ten individuals, the researchers analyzed saliva from ten volunteers before and after brushing teeth. Result: even the most conscientious brushing does not completely eliminate allergens. The allergens were missing in all sandwich lovers after four hours and a half, without even resorting to the toothbrush saving. According to researchers, and recommendations should include brushing, but also waiting for several hours before passionately kissing your friend (e) allergic.
To eat without mistake and avoid unpleasant surprises, (re) discover our dossier devoted entirely to food allergies. Many boards are waiting for you!
Tags: Allergy, food allergy