Allergies News
Got Allergies? Be Careful How You Hook Up
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) estimates that about 11 million Americans have some type of food allergy, but many more are affected by these conditions — especially the partners of highly allergic people. After they consume forbidden foods, they can cause potentially fatal reactions in their afflicted partners by kissing, touching or having intercourse.
Doctors have previously counseled the partners of allergic people to brush their teeth and wash their hands between a peanut butter sandwich and a make-out session, but according to Dr. Sami Bahna, president of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, new research shows that traces of the offending foods can remain in saliva (or semen) for up to 24 hours. Unfortunately, tooth-brushing and other cleaning efforts may not be enough to protect allergic people on the receiving end of a smooch. (More on Time.com: Want Good Health? There Are 10 Apps for That)
The best prevention is food avoidance for everyone — at least for the 16 to 24 hours before a bout of intimacy. Reports HealthDay:
“People need to know that intimate contact with individuals who’ve eaten or consumed suspect foods or medicines can also cause problems,” said Dr. Clifford W. Bassett, a clinical instructor at New York University’s School of Medicine, New York City, and an attending physician in the allergy and immunology department of Long Island College Hospital. “So, for people with a significant food allergy it’s always better to play it safe by making sure that everyone knows that in all situations these foods are strictly off-limits.”
He believes it’s vital that these individuals, “start a dialogue about [the allergy] with their friends, their colleagues, and their loved ones. In fact, I feel strongly that individuals with serious allergies — and I’m not talking about trivial allergies, but those with life-threatening conditions — have a kind of obligation to themselves and to the people they care about to start this discussion. Because it can and will save lives.”
Warning issued on food allergies
WITH the weather warming up and people eating out more, consumers and businesses are being warned to ensure they are aware of advice regarding food allergies.
Through the Australian Food Safety Conference, Anaphylaxis Australia revealed many Australians who lost their lives in recent years as a result of food anaphylaxis had eaten food purchased, or given to them, when away from home.
Anaphylaxis is the most severe form of allergic reaction and is potentially life threatening.
It is a generalised allergic reaction which often involves more than one body system.
Allergic reactions in cafes and restaurants are often caused by a lack of staff education about food allergies.
The most common food triggers for anaphylaxis are milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, sesame, fish, crustaceans and soy.
Wyong Council’s senior health officer Stephen Berry said people with food allergies were responsible for their management but it was important that people serving food in restaurants and cafes understood their responsibilities too.
“Teenagers and young adults aged between 13 and 21 represent nearly 70 per cent of food-allergic fatalities,” he said. Food businesses should take no shortcuts or change set menu ingredients and think about cross contamination when purchasing, storing, preparing and serving food.
Mobile Phones Responsible for Triggering Nickel Allergies
An allergy is a condition, which can be slightly irritating and also be fatal for a person and they do happen to be very inquisitive as allergies can be caused from anything. A strange, yet a surprising fact about allergies are that even talking on the phone can trigger an allergy.
The reason why, allergies can be triggered through a phone is because phones contain the metal nickel and when nickel comes in contact with a person it results in the reaction.
While talking about allergies, Luz Fonacier, an ACAAI Fellow states that increased usage of cell phones usually results in people suffering from nickel allergies because of an extended exposure to the metal. He adds that people end up coming to him for dry and itchy patches without the slightest idea of what could be the reason behind allergic reactions.
It needs to be noted that nickel allergies affect almost one-fifth women and 3% men and can trigger a reaction even when someone talks over the phone, as even a slight contact with nickel can result in the allergy surfacing up. Apart from the mobile, nickel allergies are also caused from coins, paper clips and keys.
Apart from nickel, allergies from tattoos and cosmetics also affect a lot of people. According to Fonacier the best way to reduce such allergies is to delay the introduction of piercings among children until they are not older than
10-years old.