May Contain Nuts 15 million people or 1 in every 13 children, in the United States alone, have something in common. Food allergies. Food allergies happen when the immune system makes a mistake, according to Kid’s Health. Your immune system makes antibodies to help you fight germs and disease, but with an allergy something in the food or other allergen tricks your immune system into thinking it’s dangerous to you. A common misunderstanding is that the allergen is what is harmful, when it’s really how your body is reacting to it that is harmful. (Though of course, one should avoid the allergen if possible.) The most common food allergies are to peanuts and other nuts; seafood, milk, eggs, soy, and wheat. What is a reaction like? Something in the food triggers the immune system to take action, and mast cells (a type of antibody) release chemicals, such as histamine, into the bloodstream. The histamine causes the symptoms that most people know, and the reaction can happen right away or even a few hours after. The first signs could be a runny nose, an itchy skin rash, or a tingling in the tongue or lips. Other signs include; tightness in the throat, hoarse voice, wheezing, cough, nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, or diarrhea. The most serious symptom is anaphylaxis, which is a sudden and severe allergic reaction which involves the skin, breathing, digestion, the heart, and blood vessels. While some kids can outgrow allergies, some allergies can’t be outgrown just as some allergies are from birth and others can develop over time due to surroundings or changes in the body. Nichole Boyden, mother of three, has two daughters with severe allergies. Her middle daughter is allergic to peanuts, tree nuts, and eggs while her youngest is only allergic to peanuts and tree nuts. Both cases are considered anaphylactic. According to the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology peanut allergies are the hardest to diagnose and tend to be the most severe. The first signs of an allergy for Nichole’s middle daughter came when she was only 18 months. Nichole had given her a bite of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and her face immediately puffed up. They cut peanuts from her diet but 6 months later she grabbed her sister’s English muffin with peanut butter and took a bite, within seconds she projectile vomited; which means she’s so allergic that her body wouldn’t even try to break it down. They tested her and she was considered in the high risk category. With their youngest they wanted to be careful, but also not keep her from all foods because of their fear. When she was three, they let her have a tiny bite of the sweet treat Puppy Chow. She started scratching at her tongue which resulted in testing her as well. Nichole immediately removed all peanut and nut products from the house so their home life was a completely nut free zone. Nichole said it was a learning experience with her middle child, figuring out how to handle the allergy and how to work with the school. Until her youngest was in kindergarten there wasn’t a nut-free table so it was definitely a trial period in the beginning. The lunch room now has a nut-free table, the teachers wipe down the tables and desks to make sure no byproducts are there, and most of the school is nut-free. Though children are still allowed to have nuts at lunch, the school has all the children wash their hands after school so no traces are brought elsewhere. Nichole mentioned that washing hands with soap and water is the best because using just hand sanitizer is just rubbing it around on the skin and doesn’t remove anything. Her children also carry EpiPens for the rare instance that a peanut escapes everyone’s notice. Nichole mentioned that even she has made mistakes; she recently bought a chapstick and was using it for a few days before she noticed it contained peanut oil. Jackie Riley is an adult who suffers from a peanut allergy who vNUTS continued on page 31 Willcockson Eye Associates, P .C. 415 W. 3rd, Yankton, South Dakota The physicians of Willcockson Eye Associates, P are dedicated to providing the best possible .C. medical and surgical eye care for you and your entire family. In addition to comprehensive eye exams and contact lens fittings, our physicians perform state of the art small-incision cataract and implant surgery. Our physicians are the regional experts in the diagnosis and management of sight threatening conditions such as glaucoma, diabetes, and macular degeneration. Paula Hicks, M.D. Board Certified Ophthalmologist Medical and Surgical Eye Care Gregory A Kouri, O.D. Optometrist Medical Eye Care For all your eyewear needs visit the Spectacle Shop next door. They offer an extensive selection of frames from traditional styles to the latest fashion design with frames to meet every family’s budget. New patients welcome! The Spectacle Shop, L.L.C. Call 605-665-9638 Karen E Dickes, D.O. Board Certified Ophthalmologist Medical and Surgical Eye Care Brady W. Betten, O.D. Optometrist Medical Eye Care HERVOICEvMARCH/APRIL 2016v21