Myths vs Facts – Conquering Allergies

MYTH

FACT

Food allergies only occur in children.

Food allergies can develop at any age, including in adulthood.

Approximately 5-6% of U.S. adults develop at least one new allergy during adulthood. Shellfish is the most common adult-onset food allergy, followed by milk and peanuts. It’s estimated that around one in four adults who develop a new food allergy as an adult had no previous history of food allergies

You should delay introducing allergenic foods to infants to prevent allergies.

Current American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) guidelines recommend introducing allergenic foods between 4 to 6 months of age to help prevent the development of food allergies.

A large amount of the food must be consumed for a reaction to occur.

Even a trace amount of an allergen can trigger a severe reaction.

People with food allergies are physically or immunologically weak

Allergies indicate an active, even overactive, immune system. The body’s immune system is working hard to “fight off” what it perceives as an invader, similar to how it would fight off a parasite or infection.

Peanut butter on skin can cure food allergies.

Exposing the immune system to allergens via the skin (especially if the skin barrier is compromised) can lead to sensitization, a process where the body develops an allergic response, rather than building tolerance.

There is a legitimate, experimental medical treatment called a “peanut patch” (epicutaneous immunotherapy or EPIT) that involves wearing a patch with a tiny, precisely measured dose of peanut protein (about 1/1000th of a peanut). This is a controlled medical treatment for already allergic children to build tolerance, not a cure, and it is not the same as peanut butter on the skin.

Food allergy tests predict the severity of a reaction.

Allergy tests, like IgE lab values, can help determine the likelihood of a food allergy but do not predict the severity of a future reaction.

Food allergies and food intolerances are the same thing

They are different. An allergy involves the immune system, while an intolerance (like gluten intolerance) does not and typically causes digestive symptoms.

All infants with eczema will develop food allergies

While there is a higher risk, not all infants with eczema will develop food allergies. Jocelyn did have eczema as a baby, and that was one indication to get her tested for allergies.

You can tell if you have an allergy by waiting for a reaction within 30 minutes of exposure.

Symptoms can appear immediately, but it can also take up to two hours for them to develop. In fact, Jocelyn’s 1st reaction to pistachios was very delayed, occurring 5 hours after ingestion. (Until this day, her allergist doesn’t understand why the response was extremely delayed)

Food allergy reactions always get progressively worse each time.

The severity of a reaction can vary each time and depends on multiple factors, such as the amount of food ingested, co-occurring illnesses, or exercise.

Epinephrine is dangerous and should only be used as a last resort.

Epinephrine is a life-saving medication that is safe and effective for treating anaphylaxis. Waiting to administer it can worsen the reaction. Currently, the medication available widely to patients in the form of an epipen. However, many patients, like my sister Jocelyn, are afraid of using it (as the thought of stabbing a needle injector into one’s thigh is scary!) Neffy, a nasal spray form of epinepherine, was approved recently, but my sister is still not able to obtain it at an affordable price. Coming down the pipeline is Anaphylm, a film of epinephrine, placed under the tongue, seems to be a much more comfortable method for obtaining epinephrine.

Antihistamines can stop a severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis).

Antihistamines can help with mild symptoms like hives but do not stop anaphylaxis. Epinephrine is the only treatment for anaphylaxis and must be given immediately.

Hand sanitizer is sufficient to remove food allergens.

Only soap and water can effectively remove food proteins from the skin.