Be allergy aware
LISA SALMON talks to Allergy UK about the warning signs to look out for and what to do if you’re worried
ALLERGIES can strike unexpectedly – as Made In Chelsea star Binky Felstead found when her baby son was rushed to hospital.
One-year-old Wolfie went red and his face and tongue started to swell after eating. His mum later wrote on Instagram: “All very quickly he started to get incredibly uncomfortable and was rubbing his face and getting upset. He went bright red all over his face and hands and white spots appeared shortly before his eye, lips and tongue started to swell. We left the restaurant and drove to the nearest pharmacist who said to call 999...”
The 32-year-old mum-of-two said they think the reaction may have been to “the sesame in the hummus”. Binky added she is now looking for an allergy specialist to assess him.
The little boy was taken to hospital, where staff confirmed he was suffering from anaphylactic shock – a very serious form of allergic reaction.
He was given adrenaline, which helped calm his symptoms, and later discharged, with two EpiPens in case of further reactions. Binky says she’s “incredibly grateful” to the NHS.
Allergy UK (allergyuk.org) says childhood food allergies are becoming increasingly common, with around one in 12 young children affected. The charity explains that allergies occur because the immune system gets confused, and instead of ignoring harmless food proteins, it treats them as a threat, releasing histamine causing
allergy symptoms, like a runny nose, hives and itching, and sometimes anaphylaxis – a medical emergency which can be life-threatening. Severe reactions are more rare, but it is important that everyone is aware of the warning signs.
“Allergies can affect anyone at any age. However, allergies do tend to run in families,” says Margaret Kelman, Allergy UK’s head of clinical services. “Food allergy is very unpredictable – most food allergic reactions are mild but occasionally can be life-threatening. The most effective treatment is avoidance of the allergenic food.”
Common foods that cause allergic reactions are peanuts, tree nuts, milk, eggs and shellfish – although all foods can potentially cause reactions.
It’s not known why some people develop food allergies, although they’ll often have other allergyrelated conditions too, such as asthma, hay fever and eczema.