Allergic to Lunch

Do you have nut-free classrooms in your school? Or nut-free tables at lunch? You might have friends who can’t be around certain foods. You may have an allergy yourself. But what does having a food allergy really mean? Why do people who have one need to be so careful?

A food allergy is an immune system mistake. An immune system is a network of cells, tissues and body organs that work together to protect the body. Your immune system is always on the lookout for germs that could harm you. When a germ enters your body, your immune system springs into action to stop it. Antibodies are made by white blood cells. These antibodies fight germs. They also remember what a germ looks like, in case it tries to come back. The immune system does a great job, but sometimes it might get confused. That’s how food allergies happen.

Your body makes five main kinds of antibodies. One is called IgE. In some people, IgE mistakes certain foods as threats. So, if a person eats that food, the antibody acts as if the body is under attack by germs. It signals cells to release histamines, chemicals that cause parts of the body to react. In most food allergies, histamines are released in the skin, mouth, throat, and lungs.

Histamines signal nerves to itch. They make small blood vessels swell, so skin becomes red and puffy. They may also cause the nose and lungs to pump out mucus. That triggers coughing and sneezing. The stomach may be upset. In some people, these reactions are just annoying. For people with very bad allergies, they’re life-threatening.

Some allergies cause the immune system to work overtime. It floods the body with a large amount of histamines and other chemicals. Airways tighten and the throat swells, so the person has trouble breathing. Their heart might beat faster than normal. They could pass out. This reaction is an emergency. Without treatment, the person could die.

People with these kinds of food allergies often carry a special kind of shot, or leave one with a teacher or the school nurse. Many people call this shot an Epi-pen, which is the name of a company who are well known for making the shot. This shot delivers a medicine that helps open-up airways so the person can breathe. It gives them time to be taken to the hospital for more help. People with milder allergies may take a medicine called an antihistamine. It blocks the histamines that cause itching, sneezing, and other reactions.

Scientists think that about one out of thirteen kids has a food allergy. Nobody knows why some people are allergic to some foods but others aren’t. If you have a family member who’s allergic, it increases your chances of having a food allergy. But you might never have one. Or you could be allergic to a different food than your family member. You could also be the only one in your family with an allergy. Kids are most often allergic to peanuts, eggs, milk, wheat, and soy. Some grow out of their allergies. Others don’t.

Avoiding the food completely is the best treatment for people with allergies. They read labels on food packages to see how it was made. In a restaurant, they check the menu and ask questions. Schools set up nut-free classrooms and special lunch tables to help keep them safe.

Some people are so allergic that they don’t have to eat the food to have a reaction. Even touching or smelling it can cause them problems. So, while you might want to eat peanut butter crackers in your nut-free classroom, leaving them at home could save someone’s life.