A Picture of Health: Allergies and You

Allergies have been on the rise in the United States and other industrialized countries for more than 50 years. But allergies aren’t as common as you might think. How much do you know about allergies?

ENVIRONMENTAL ALLERGIES

1 in 5 people is allergic to pollen, pet dander, dust mites, and mold.
Health-care workers are 10 times more likely than the average person to be allergic to latex because of their frequent exposure to it.
Up to 50% of people who die from an insect sting has no previous history of severe allergic reactions to stinging insects.
The average adult sheds enough skin every day to feed 1 million dust mites.
Detectable levels of pet dander are found in every home in the United States.

ALLERGY VS. THE COLD: WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE?

ALLERGY SYMPTOMS: Runny or stuffy nose, sneezing, itchy and watery eyes
ALLERGY FREQUENCY: Happens about the same time every year or when you’re in a certain location (exposed to pets, pollen, mold, etc.)
COLD SYMPTOMS: Runny or stuffy nose, sneezing, cough, sore throat
COLD FREQUENCY: Can occur any time of year. Starts 1-3 days after exposure and lasts up to 2 weeks.

FOOD ALLERGIES

Every 18 minutes, someone in the United States heads to the emergency room because of a severe allergic reaction to food.
Babies who regularly eat peanut-containing foods are 80% less likely to develop a peanut allergy than babies who are never fed peanuts.
For people with a severe peanut allergy, as little as 1/44,000ths of a peanut kernel can set off a reaction.
The 8 foods that cause 90% of all allergic reactions include milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, and soybeans.

DO YOU HAVE A FOOD ALLERGY?

When you have a food allergy, the immune system attacks a normally harmless food as a foreign invader.
Symptoms of a food allergy: runny nose, rash, hives, swelling of the mouth and throat, difficulty breathing or swallowing, vomiting or diarrhea, dizziness or fainting.
About 2.5% of children under the age of 3 are allergic to the proteins in milk. Most of them outgrow this allergy.
A food allergy can be fatal.

DO YOU HAVE A FOOD INTOLERANCE?

When you have a food intolerance, the digestive system has difficulty processing a particular food.
Symptoms of food intolerance: nausea, cramps, gas, bloating, diarrhea, constipation.
About 65% of people worldwide become lactose intolerant after infancy because their body no longer produces enough of the enzyme that digests the sugar in milk.
Food intolerance is uncomfortable or painful but not deadly.

Compiled by Rachel E. Cabose, Vibrant Life Magazine, March/April 2018