Skip to content
  • About
  • Contact
  • Contribute
  • Book
  • Careers
  • Podcast
  • Recommended
  • Speaking
  • All
  • Physician
  • Practice
  • Policy
  • Finance
  • Conditions
  • .edu
  • Patient
  • Meds
  • Tech
  • Social
  • Video
    • All
    • Physician
    • Practice
    • Policy
    • Finance
    • Conditions
    • .edu
    • Patient
    • Meds
    • Tech
    • Social
    • Video
    • About
    • Contact
    • Contribute
    • Book
    • Careers
    • Podcast
    • Recommended
    • Speaking

Food allergy tragedies: the reality that haunts us

Lianne Mandelbaum
Conditions
February 16, 2023
402 Shares
Share
Tweet
Share

Food should not kill, but in the last three weeks alone, the food allergy community has grappled with three food-induced anaphylaxis deaths. All were young adults in the prime of their lives; one in middle school, another going to a school dance, and one just engaged to the love of her life.

No one is perfect in how they conduct themselves daily, but for those with food allergies, falling short of the mark of perfection even once can lead to tragic consequences. A forgotten auto-injector, a bite of the wrong food (even if you spit it out immediately), using a spoon to stir your drink that has been contaminated with your allergen, or being served the wrong school meal can lead to lethal consequences. These are just some of the real scenarios attributed to fatalities in the last month alone. It is terrifying how little can go wrong for a death to occur.

To comfort us, many well-intentioned medical professionals, journalists, and laypeople alike cite statistics demonstrating that fatal reactions are very rare. We are often told that a fatality from a car accident or being struck by lightning is more likely to occur than a fatal food allergy reaction. On its face, there is comfort in these low numbers, but there is also an important catch that may not be obvious.

Our food allergy community deeply feels each fatality from food-related anaphylaxis personally because we can easily paint the picture of ourselves or our child making the same type of mistake. It takes one moment in time to leave an auto-injector in the car, at the gym, on the tennis court, or at a friend’s house. We have all had near misses. Personally, I remind my son constantly about making sure he has his auto-injectors on him, and yet I have made the drive to pick up the auto-injector left behind more than once.

Dr. Nana Mireku, a pediatric allergist and food allergy parent, sums up what many in the community feel. She says, “My heart has been so heavy hearing these stories.” She says bluntly what many of us feel so acutely – it is truly difficult not to internalize these stories when looking at your own children who have food allergies. Mireku speaks to my heart when she says, “These stories are not fear tactics. They are real families.” She says, “As a community, my allergist colleagues, pediatricians, parents, friends, families, we can make change and impact by raising awareness about food allergies and the importance of having lifesaving medications (epinephrine) at all times.”

Food is all around us. Most teens will likely attend a high school dance or sporting event involving food. Many of life’s celebrations and milestones are replete with food. Even the most diligent teenager trained on what not to eat can make one fatal mistake. This is what haunts us because it’s real, and it can happen so easily.

Parents of food-allergic kids and adults with food allergies are often subject to hostility and scorn when asking for reasonable and legal accommodations. This occurs in our schools, on the playground, in the workplace, and when we travel on airlines. Too many people do not believe a food allergy is a real condition. Adding fuel to the fire, the mainstream media and the television/movie industry continue to use food allergies as a punchline in their jokes, with no apologies forthcoming anytime soon. It concerns me when kids and adults are embarrassed because of their food allergies. One day, someone with a food allergy may not inform those around them about their allergy and the location of their medication or just be silent about progressing anaphylaxis symptoms. People are wrongly asked to leave an airplane when disclosing a food allergy. All this contributes to both children and adults with food allergies facing bullying and the ensuing embarrassment factor.

Having your throat close and sensing your life being threatened during anaphylaxis is not humorous. Please be kind to someone asking for food allergy accommodations even if they “look normal.” There have been three funerals in the last three weeks. Each scenario is relatable to any one of us who lives with this very real disease. This is what is so frightening – it could happen to any of us because no one is perfect. To err is human, and we are all human.

Lianne Mandelbaum is founder, the No Nut Traveler, and can be reached on Twitter @nonuttraveler.

Prev

Golden years, golden risk: the startling increase of STDs in seniors

February 16, 2023 Kevin 0
…
Next

Understanding the memory loss of aging: How to tell normal forgetfulness from brain disorders

February 16, 2023 Kevin 0
…

Tagged as: Allergies & Immunology

Post navigation

< Previous Post
Golden years, golden risk: the startling increase of STDs in seniors
Next Post >
Understanding the memory loss of aging: How to tell normal forgetfulness from brain disorders

More by Lianne Mandelbaum

  • Food allergies are a growing public health concern, not a joke

    Lianne Mandelbaum
  • When celebrities attack children with food allergies

    Lianne Mandelbaum
  • Food allergies are not funny

    Lianne Mandelbaum

Related Posts

  • When your first food allergy reaction takes place in the air

    Lianne Mandelbaum
  • When celebrities attack children with food allergies

    Lianne Mandelbaum
  • What if people were only allowed to use food assistance dollars to buy healthy food?

    Peter Ubel, MD
  • Inaccurate penicillin allergies worsens antimicrobial resistance

    Jasmine Riviere Marcelin
  • Beware of food sensitivity tests on Facebook

    Roy Benaroch, MD
  • How a food blog paid for medical school tuition

    Monica Bravo

More in Conditions

  • The psychoanalytic hammer: lessons in listening and patient-centered care

    Greg Smith, MD
  • 5 essential tips to help men prevent prostate cancer

    Kevin Jones, MD
  • Changing the pediatric care landscape: Integrating behavioral and mental health care

    Hilary M. Bowers, MD
  • Unlocking the secret to successful weight loss: Curiosity is the key

    Franchell Hamilton, MD
  • The teacher who changed my life through reading

    Raymond Abbott
  • Revaluating mental health assessments: It’s not just the patient you should consider

    Tomi Mitchell, MD
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • Nobody wants this job. Should physicians stick around?

      Katie Klingberg, MD | Physician
    • The real cause of America’s opioid crisis: Doctors are not to blame

      Richard A. Lawhern, PhD | Meds
    • Healing the damaged nurse-physician dynamic

      Angel J. Mena, MD and Ali Morin, MSN, RN | Policy
    • The struggle to fill emergency medicine residency spots: Exploring the factors behind the unfilled match

      Katrina Gipson, MD, MPH | Physician
    • From physician to patient: one doctor’s journey to finding purpose after a devastating injury

      Stephanie Pearson, MD | Physician
    • Breaking the stigma: Addressing the struggles of physicians

      Jean Antonucci, MD | Physician
  • Past 6 Months

    • The hidden dangers of the Nebraska Heartbeat Act

      Meghan Sheehan, MD | Policy
    • The vital importance of climate change education in medical schools

      Helen Kim, MD | Policy
    • The fight for reproductive health: Why medication abortion matters

      Catherine Hennessey, MD | Physician
    • Resetting the doctor-patient relationship: Navigating the challenges of modern primary care

      Jeffrey H. Millstein, MD | Physician
    • The real cause of America’s opioid crisis: Doctors are not to blame

      Richard A. Lawhern, PhD | Meds
    • Nobody wants this job. Should physicians stick around?

      Katie Klingberg, MD | Physician
  • Recent Posts

    • Revolutionizing COPD management with virtual care solutions [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • What I think it means to be a medical student in the wake of AI

      Jackson J. McCue | Tech
    • It’s time for C-suite to contract directly with physicians for part-time work

      Aaron Morgenstein, MD & Corinne Sundar Rao, MD | Physician
    • The psychoanalytic hammer: lessons in listening and patient-centered care

      Greg Smith, MD | Conditions
    • From rural communities to underserved populations: How telemedicine is bridging health care gaps

      Harvey Castro, MD, MBA | Physician
    • 5 essential tips to help men prevent prostate cancer

      Kevin Jones, MD | Conditions

Subscribe to KevinMD and never miss a story!

Get free updates delivered free to your inbox.


Find jobs at
Careers by KevinMD.com

Search thousands of physician, PA, NP, and CRNA jobs now.

Learn more

Leave a Comment

Founded in 2004 by Kevin Pho, MD, KevinMD.com is the web’s leading platform where physicians, advanced practitioners, nurses, medical students, and patients share their insight and tell their stories.

Social

  • Like on Facebook
  • Follow on Twitter
  • Connect on Linkedin
  • Subscribe on Youtube
  • Instagram

CME Spotlights

From MedPage Today

Latest News

  • Sam Neill's Rare Lymphoma
  • Day in the Life of a Doctor: Treating a Patient With Septic Shock
  • Paxlovid May Lower Long COVID Risk, VA Study Suggests
  • Digital Inhalers May Improve Uncontrolled Asthma Management
  • Another Win for Zolbetuximab in Advanced Gastric/GEJ Cancer

Meeting Coverage

  • Switch to IL-23 Blocker Yields Deep Responses in Recalcitrant Plaque Psoriasis
  • Biomarkers of Response With Enfortumab Vedotin in Advanced Urothelial Cancer
  • At-Home Topical Therapy for Molluscum Contagiosum Gets High Marks
  • Outlook for Itchy Prurigo Nodularis Continues to Improve With IL-31 Antagonist
  • AAAAI President Shares Highlights From the 2023 Meeting
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • Nobody wants this job. Should physicians stick around?

      Katie Klingberg, MD | Physician
    • The real cause of America’s opioid crisis: Doctors are not to blame

      Richard A. Lawhern, PhD | Meds
    • Healing the damaged nurse-physician dynamic

      Angel J. Mena, MD and Ali Morin, MSN, RN | Policy
    • The struggle to fill emergency medicine residency spots: Exploring the factors behind the unfilled match

      Katrina Gipson, MD, MPH | Physician
    • From physician to patient: one doctor’s journey to finding purpose after a devastating injury

      Stephanie Pearson, MD | Physician
    • Breaking the stigma: Addressing the struggles of physicians

      Jean Antonucci, MD | Physician
  • Past 6 Months

    • The hidden dangers of the Nebraska Heartbeat Act

      Meghan Sheehan, MD | Policy
    • The vital importance of climate change education in medical schools

      Helen Kim, MD | Policy
    • The fight for reproductive health: Why medication abortion matters

      Catherine Hennessey, MD | Physician
    • Resetting the doctor-patient relationship: Navigating the challenges of modern primary care

      Jeffrey H. Millstein, MD | Physician
    • The real cause of America’s opioid crisis: Doctors are not to blame

      Richard A. Lawhern, PhD | Meds
    • Nobody wants this job. Should physicians stick around?

      Katie Klingberg, MD | Physician
  • Recent Posts

    • Revolutionizing COPD management with virtual care solutions [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • What I think it means to be a medical student in the wake of AI

      Jackson J. McCue | Tech
    • It’s time for C-suite to contract directly with physicians for part-time work

      Aaron Morgenstein, MD & Corinne Sundar Rao, MD | Physician
    • The psychoanalytic hammer: lessons in listening and patient-centered care

      Greg Smith, MD | Conditions
    • From rural communities to underserved populations: How telemedicine is bridging health care gaps

      Harvey Castro, MD, MBA | Physician
    • 5 essential tips to help men prevent prostate cancer

      Kevin Jones, MD | Conditions

MedPage Today Professional

An Everyday Health Property Medpage Today iMedicalApps
  • Terms of Use | Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • DMCA Policy
All Content © KevinMD, LLC
Site by Outthink Group

Leave a Comment

Comments are moderated before they are published. Please read the comment policy.

Loading Comments...