The Danger of Allergy Shaming

The Danger of ‘Allergy Shaming’

Could a teen’s desire to “fit in” with the crowd become life-threatening? Certainly, if they have a severe food allergy, researchers report. A recent study revealed that 54 percent of surveyed students with allergies said they purposefully ingested a potentially unsafe food, while 42 percent were willing to eat a food labeled that it “may contain” the problematic allergen. A 2009 study found that only 40 percent of college undergrads with food allergies avoided their known allergens. And sadly, a 2014 study of 251 families found that 32 percent of surveyed children said they’d been bullied because of their food allergy at least once.

Mylan Signs Strategic Alliance Agreement with Walt Disney Co.

Disney Mylan logos Once again Walt Disney Company leads the way in helping to keep their customers safe while visiting their parks and cruise ships. They recently signed a multi-year strategic alliance agreement with Mylan to increase awareness of anaphylaxis. Plans includes the placement of updated maps as well as updated signage in the parks that highlight locations with EpiPen^® (epinephrine) and EpiPen Jr^® (epinephrine) Auto-Injectors. We hope other public “entities” will follow suit.

New Book Highlights “Missing Microbes”

Can the overuse of antibiotics also be related to the increase in asthma, celiac disease and allergies? Dr. Martin Blaser, director of the Human Microbiome Program at New York University believes so. “Besides aiding the rise of superbugs, excess consumption of these medications may be changing and in some cases devastating our helpful bacteria and contributing to changes in our metabolism and immune system,” he says in his new book, Missing Microbes: How the Overuse of Antibiotics Is Fueling Our Modern Plagues.

NYU Doctor Looks to Our Bacteria for Allergy Explanations

October 22nd, 2014
By Kristen Stewart

What if the hygiene hypothesis to explain the rise in allergies and asthma is all wrong?

That is just one of the interesting new ideas proposed by Dr. Martin Blaser, director of the Human Microbiome Program at NYU, in his book Missing Microbes: How the Overuse of Antibiotics Is Fueling Our Modern Plagues.

Childhood Peanut Allergy May Be Linked to Skin Gene Mutation

Can a gene mutation in a child’s skin predict who will develop peanut allergies? Scientists at King's College in London believe it can. After measuring the exposure to peanut protein in household dust in the first 12 months of life, they found the dust had no effect on children who did not have a skin barrier defect from an FLG gene mutation. The study raises the possibility of being able to identify a group of children with FLG mutations through genetic testing in the future, and altering their environmental exposure to peanuts early in life to reduce the risk of developing a peanut allergy.

HealthDay logo By Mary Elizabeth Dallas, HealthDay Reporter
HealthDay Oct. 24, 2014

FRIDAY, Oct. 24, 2014 (HealthDay News) — Infants with a specific skin gene mutation who are exposed to peanut protein in household dust may be more likely to develop a peanut allergy, according to a new study.

U.S. Study Details Anaphylaxis Fatalities

Science 2.0 logo Most of us think of food or bee stings as the leading cause of allergy-related sudden deaths in the U.S. But a recent analysis of death certificates found it was actually medications that were the cause, particularly among older people and African Americans.

Medications: The Leading Cause Of Allergy-Related Deaths

By News Staff
September 30th 2014 07:01 PM

An analysis of death certificates from 1999 to 2010 has found that medications are the leading cause of allergy-related sudden deaths in the U.S. The study in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology also found that the risk of fatal drug-induced allergic reactions was particularly high among older people and African-Americans and that such deaths increased significantly in the U.S. in recent years.

NYU Doctor Looks to Our Bacteria for Allergy Explanations

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