Finally our anaphylaxis blog is integrated into our site
Hi all
It’s been a month since my main computer broke in a storm and I’ve only just got it repaired and working again. My laptop has been getting a major workout while the main one was being fixed.
I’ve finally got our blog integrated into the main site design.
I’ll get back to regularly posting about anaphylaxis and food allergies shortly, after I get through sorting over 4000 emails. Ouch.
Aaron
I had an interesting and unexpected experience last night at dinner. Part of our meal included ‘Slipper Lobster’, a small crustacean. I have eaten similar crustaceans before without issue, but last night, almost immediately my mouth became irritated and swollen, my tongue swelled, I was physically sick, and had difficulty swallowing for 2-3 hours.
I am 33 years old and have anaphylactic reactions to ‘bugs’ we have in Australia called ‘hairy caterpillars’. But as far as I knew, that was it! Did I have an anaphylactic reaction to this crustacean? Is it unusual to not have one until later adulthood? Can you grow into allergies? Please help!
Hi Lee, yes adult onset for anaphylaxis is very real. Even my mother and another late 30′s friend now has anaphylaxis to penicillin that never had it before in their whole lives.
You need to go and see an allergy specialist, who can give you a skin test and identify your current allergic condition. You should then be prescribed an epipen just in case it happens again.
Aaron
Hallo! My name is George and I am a medical doctor. I would like to ask about a somehow neglected issue: if someone is allergic to any substance, can his allergy or even anaphylaxia occur if he uses a fork, a knife, a spoon, a glass or a plate or even bread or apple etc that was in contact (for example a knife thait wa…s used to cut a fruit that causes allergy to someone) with a food or anything else that contains the substance that causes the allergy?
Also, i would like to ask: Can the same thing can occur if someone else, who was in contact with a substance that causes allergy, for example, a person who cut and touched the pieces of a fruit that causes allergy to someone, and has fluid or small pieces of the fruit on her/his hands, gives to the sensitive person a piece of another kind offruit, bread, chocolate, etc or even a spoon and then the sensitive person eats by his hands the piece ?
Thank you !
When i talk about fluid, i mean the juice, even in small quantities! .
And, do those dangerous factors remove after washing hands or materials and which way of washing is better?
Hi George, great questions.
What you are talking about is called cross contamination, and is the hardest of all to deal with. This is why we don’t go to any food places to eat out, or let the our son get food from the school tuck shop (cafeteria).
People understand about food labelling but don’t get that cross contamination is just as bad and will cause the same end result, anaphylaxis.
Hand washing with soap and washing all surfaces / utensils in food areas is vital before preparing food for someone with anaphylaxis.
Thanks
Aaron