Food Allergies: Is Your School Prepared?

“She’s blue!”

I was three-years-old, and my mother had minutes before given me a walnut to snack on as I rode in the backseat during a family road trip. I was suddenly quiet – unusually so for a talkative toddler – and when she turned around, she realized I had stopped breathing.

I was experiencing anaphylaxis – a severe, potentially life-threatening allergic reaction. My reaction had been triggered by a tree nut food allergy – one of the 8 most common food allergy triggers in the U.S. 

Food allergies can be a scary event not only for the estimated 15 million Americans like me who have a food allergy, but also for family, educators, co-workers and friends who witness an allergic reaction. Awareness, education and prevention can literally save a life.  NEA HIN produced “The Food Allergy Book” in English and in Spanish to help school staff and families be prepared in the case of a food allergy emergency. 

What is a Food Allergy?

Food allergy is an abnormal response to a food, triggered by the body’s immune system. In individuals with food allergies, the immune system mistakenly responds to a food (known as the food allergen) as if it were harmful, triggering a variety of negative health effects.

Anaphylaxis is a severe allergic reaction that happens quickly and may cause death. It’s essential to know that people who previously only had so-called “mild” reactions can suddenly have a life-threatening reaction; it’s therefore critical to treat all allergic reactions as emergencies and seek immediate care.

Strategies for Prevention

During Food Allergy Awareness Week, take a few minutes to review The Food Allergy Book and make sure your school has implemented strategies for prevention:

• Educate yourself and build awareness of the seriousness of food allergies. Download NEA HIN’s “The Food Allergy Book” and visit FoodAllergy.org – and then share these resources with others.
• Document students’ allergies. Every year, a student’s family should submit an Emergency Care Plan in consultation with student’s doctor. Allergies can change throughout a person’s lifetime, so it’s critical this record is updated regularly.
• Create a food allergy management and prevention plan. Managing allergies is a team effort, and a plan reflects the roles everyone in a school can play to prevent allergic reactions. A strong plan accounts for the daily management of food allergies and ensure that all staff know the signs of anaphylaxis and know how to administer epinephrine auto-injectors (where permitted by state law).

Prevention strategies helped me manage food allergies in school as a student – and I continue to use these strategies as an adult.

Posted by Jenn Kauffman

on May 14, 2014