How to deal with food allergies

If you really encounter a food allergy, you must first pay attention to the most dangerous signs - once you have difficulty breathing, a tight throat, a hoarse voice, or even black vision and unable to stand, don't hesitate to call 120 immediately. If you carry an epinephrine pen with you, inject it directly into the outer thigh. This is the only way to save your life quickly, and it is more effective than taking any anti-allergy medicine. To put it bluntly, allergies are when our immune system convulses, attacking originally harmless food as an invading enemy. The more violent the reaction, the greater the damage to the body. In the most dangerous cases, the airway can be blocked in a few minutes, and it cannot be delayed even half a minute. A few months ago, when I took my nephew to an indoor playground, I met a 3-year-old girl who secretly grabbed her friend's crushed peanut cookies and ate them. Within five minutes, her face was so swollen that she couldn't even open her eyes. She was lying in her mother's arms, panting like a bellows. Her mother wanted to give her water at first, but luckily there was an emergency nurse nearby who reminded her, so she quickly took out the epinephrine pen she brought with her and pricked her thigh. By the time the ambulance arrived, the little girl could already speak in a low voice. If it had been a few minutes later, something serious would have happened.

Of course, the allergies that most people encounter may not be so serious. For example, after eating some mango, a small red rash appears around the mouth, or the back of the hand is a little itchy after eating some mango. If there is no chest tightness, stomach pain, or vomiting, you can stop the suspicious food first, wipe off the food residue on your mouth and hands, sit down and observe the condition. If the itching is really uncomfortable, taking a regular antihistamine will relieve it, and there is no need to rush to the hospital.

I have to mention here that there are a lot of opinions online about whether you should induce vomiting or drink more water if you have allergies. I specifically asked an allergist I know well before, and the other person said that it actually depends on the situation, and there is no unified standard answer. If within 10 minutes after eating, you have no symptoms of throat tightness or difficulty breathing, and you are in good condition, you can indeed try to induce vomiting to reduce the absorption of allergens. ； However, if there are already signs of respiratory discomfort, inducing vomiting will irritate the throat mucosa and aggravate edema, and may even cause coughing and suffocation. At this time, you must not induce vomiting blindly, and the same is true for drinking water. If you already feel that your throat is blocked, adding more water will aggravate the discomfort.

In fact, when it comes to food allergies, prevention is more important than temporary treatment when a serious attack occurs. I have a friend who is allergic to cashews. I tried a colleague's cashew cookies with the mentality of "just take a small bite and it will be fine". As a result, I woke up coughing at 2 a.m. and went to the emergency room for hormone treatment. I was blamed by my boss. If the allergens are really clear, it is best to tell the waiter in advance what allergens you are allergic to when eating out. Even "not even a little bit" is not allowed, especially for highly sensitive ingredients such as nuts, seafood, and egg milk. Don't be too troublesome. After all, when the immune system gets angry, there is really no reason to explain. If you have never had an allergic reaction before, after the symptoms subside after this attack, it is also recommended to go to the hospital for a professional allergen test to clarify what substances you are sensitive to, so as to avoid stepping on unknown thunder next time.