JENNIFER GILL

Food allergies, particularly peanut allergies, are in the news more and more as food-allergy cases increase.

According to the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network, peanut allergies among young children doubled between 1997 and 2002. A Feb. 14 Mayo Clinic article reports that 2 percent of adults and 6 percent of children have a true food allergy, though far more have food intolerance.

Simply put, a food allergy is an immune system response to a food that the body mistakenly believes is harmful, while a food intolerance doesn't involve the immune system but causes unpleasant symptoms triggered by food.

Most Americans may not be well-versed with the minutiae of living with a food allergy until a family member is diagnosed, like Jennifer Pickus of Little Rock.
Pickus' then-14-month-old son was diagnosed with a peanut allergy after he had a severe reaction to a peanut butter-flavored granola bar for toddlers.

"I can still remember how I was feeling when we found out," she said. "I had no experience with food allergies at all. It does change your life from that point on. Every meal, every time you take something off the grocery shelf, you have to think."

Pickus' son, Alex, is now 3 and a half. He wears a Medic-Alert bracelet, and Pickus says he's very aware of his food allergy.

"We talk about it a lot," Pickus said. "He goes grocery shopping with me and sees me read the labels. ... People will ask him why he wears the bracelet, and he'll say 'Because I'm allergic to peanuts. I can't have any peanuts.'"

According to the Mayo Clinic, in a true food allergy, a person's immune system mistakenly identifies a specific food or food component as harmful.

"Your immune system triggers certain cells to produce immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibodies to fight the culprit. ... The next time you eat even the smallest amount of that food, the IgE antibodies sense it and signal your immune system to release histamine and other chemicals into your bloodstream," the Feb. 17 Mayo Clinic article states. "These chemicals cause a range of allergic signs and symptoms. Histamine is partly responsible for most allergic responses, including dripping nose, itchy eyes, dry throat, rashes and hives, nausea, diarrhea, labored breathing and even anaphylactic shock."

The Pickuses carry an EpiPen whenever they leave home, in case Alex were to have a reaction. The foods he must avoid are more than just the obvious like peanut butter; he also must avoid foods that could have been cross-contaminated during manufacturing.

"We never go to the bakery," Pickus said. "We buy our breads off the grocery-store shelf. Very little candy (is safe). Asian food ... those are the big groups to stay away from."

Pickus also is a co-chairwoman for a Little Rock support group for parents of children with food allergies.

In 2005, Arkansas Allergy & Asthma Clinic, PA, in Little Rock formed AAAC-FEAST (Food Education Allergy Support Team) for families dealing with food allergies. It was the first such group in Arkansas.

"We had a tremendous number of food allergic children and families dealing with food allergies on a daily basis," said Debby Curtis, coordinator for FEAST. "We formed the group but wanted it to be parent-driven. It's their group, but we provide resources as we can."

To affiliate with the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA), as FEAST is, support groups must meet at least four times a year, have a physician serve as medical advisor, have a minimum of 10 members and submit semi-annual reports on the group's activities, according to AAFA's Web site.

Curtis said FEAST has almost 50 members, and though required to meet just four times a year, FEAST members wanted to meet monthly.

"It's not only just for support and issues, but also a kind of friendship," Curtis said. "You're sharing with other parents who are dealing with the same thing."

Pickus agreed, "One of the most important ways the group helps me out is having other parents ... understand what it is to have a food allergy."

Pickus also noted that speakers at the group's meetings help keep members updated on the latest research into food allergies and provide a wealth of medical information.

Curtis said speakers scheduled for 2007 include a psychologist, a restaurant owner and a dietitian. Group members also are supportive through e-mail correspondence, sending recipes, medical articles, hints and tips, Curtis added.


April 2007