Anaphylaxis; How It Works and My Almost Tragic Experience from It

That’s an ambulance and I was in it. March 11, 2016 or the Eagan Speech tournament was the first time I ever almost died. I didn’t have a seizure, a stroke, or even heart problems. Nope, I had eaten an almond. Seriously, I had eaten an almond. I quickly found myself in the nurse’s office where the policemen, paramedics and my coaches all swarmed around me. Needless to say the entire situation really scary. That day I learned that I have anaphylaxis, more commonly known as a life-threatening allergy. I’ve found however, that I am not alone. Millions of people around the world have an allergy and studies conducted in 2016 by the Hopkins Medical Research Center showed that 1 in 50 people have a life-threatening allergy, this is the same number of people who have red hair. As anaphylaxis becomes more and more prevalent in our society it’s important that understanding and familiarity with the condition increases so that people like me can be safe when outside their own home. Today, we will learn about the complexity and prevalence of anaphylaxis in three ways; first, by understanding how anaphylaxis works, next taking a look at how our community has dealt with the recent uprise, before finally looking at how airline companies have reacted in recent years.

1st point:

First let’s pecan in on how anaphylaxis works. As I quickly learned, eating something you’re allergic to isn’t the best idea. My body immediately rejected the almond protein and went into anaphylactic shock. Anaphylaxis is a process when your body overreacts to a foreign antigen, resulting in a sudden and potentially fatal allergic reaction. When the allergen is inhaled, touched, or swallowed your body releases chemicals that in a small amount protect you but during anaphylaxis too many of these chemicals are released which causes symptoms such as difficulty breathing and low blood pressure. As the Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America explains in their 2015 article aptly titled “Anaphylaxis,” these symptoms can begin minutes or even hours after exposure to an allergen. As your protector cells overreact your body goes into panic. Many first responders believe that this initial reaction is the first and only stage of anaphylaxis, however, there are two different types of anaphylaxis that can affect a person’s body. They are: the more common allergen-induced anaphylaxis and exercise-induced allergies. So if a person has an exercise-induced allergy they are basically allergic to sports, although it sounds like the perfect excuse for speech kids to get out of gym class, as the Huffington Post writes in their article titled “No Runny Business - Why it Matters” People can in fact experience an allergic reaction to exercise. People usually associate working out with an increased heart rate and a rush of endorphins — not hives, fainting, or an itchy rash. According to studies from the University of Michigan up to 11 percent of young adults, more commonly males, experience this form of anaphylaxis. When a person goes into anaphylactic shock, no matter the cause, there is only one known way to treat it, with the epipen. The epipen provides the correct amount of epinephrine to the individual, since the amount of medicine changes based on whether you are a child or an adult having the correct epipen is very important. Epinephrine relaxes the muscles and allows for increased blood flow to the brain and other organs. Epipens are an essential device for anyone who has anaphylaxis. The chances that you will encounter someone who needs an epipen is increasing but unfortunately so are epipen prices. In 2007 epipens cost an average of $97 but today they cost over $600. As stated by Forbes in an article from January 3rd of this year, the price inflated 450% in only 11 years. This price hike has made the ability to obtain the life-saving device even more difficult, even though the need for epipens has increased.

2nd point:

Although, the first time I experienced anaphylaxis I had eaten an almond, now since my allergy has progressed, even if my skin comes into contact with a tree nut, I could have a reaction. Allergies progress over time, you are more sensitive to second and third exposure since your body has identified the allergen as dangerous and is prepared to attack it. Staying away from an allergen may seem like a simple task. However, it can be especially difficult at large public places like schools, where the cafeteria is full of homemade and school lunches. Knowing concerns about anaphylaxis is becoming increasingly important because anaphylaxis is becoming more and more common. The American College of Allergies and Asthma has seen a 377% increase in anaphylactic reactions from 5 to 22%. In the mid 1990s, 1 in 250 school-aged children had a food allergy, that ratio has changed to 1 in 13 children or about 2 in every classroom. Scientists don’t know exactly what has caused this upsurge of anaphylactic reactions but there are many different possibilities. Thankfully, however, there are many known ways to raise awareness and create a safe environment for everyone. One way the community is getting involved, even those without food allergies, is through the Teal Pumpkin Project. The blue pins on the map represent the addresses that have allergy safe treats on halloween. An easy way to tell if a house is participating is by a teal colored pumpkin outside their door. The Teal Pumpkin Project has skyrocketed in recent years and allows for the community to know which houses are allergy safe. Another way the community is working on becoming more allergy-friendly is in schools, Massachusetts became the first state to enact guidelines for the management of food allergies in schools, calling for “peanut-free” tables in the lunchroom. And posting peanut free classroom signs around the building. Although the different lunch table for students with allergies may seem over the top, restaurants are taking the same approach. In 2015, Panera Bread Co. released an allergy action plan that as a test run had 40% of of their locations add an “allergy-safe” table where meals without the top 5 allergens could safely be served. This new addition to the restaurants proved to be successful and by 2020 Panera plans to have almost all of their locations add the allergy safe table. It’s important that the community is involved and aware of these changes as anaphylaxis is becoming increasingly common.

3rd point:

Airline carriers have a long tradition of serving peanuts on flights, and often serve little to nothing else. But this also presents a challenge to travelers with severe nut allergies, who can suffer a reaction simply by touching a surface that has been exposed to nuts. As anaphylaxis increases in prevalence and along with concerns from passengers, the airline industry is beginning to recognize these concerns. But tensions between passengers with food allergies and airline staff members have risen in recent years, as airlines have begun to enforce stricter rules related to pre-boarding passengers. In the past, passengers with allergies could board the plane early, giving them a chance to wipe down seats, trays and armrests to reduce exposure to allergens. But today many airlines have stopped letting passengers do this. This is Dinah Johnson, after telling the flight attendants that she had a nut allergy, they promptly escorted off the airplane against her will. In spite of the fact that people can’t control if they have allergies, in 2018 alone over 25 people have claimed very similar stories. In a 2017 article by the Guardian, Dr. Jen Bowden writes that since there is no blanket policy on how the different companies should deal with allergies, many passengers don’t know what to expect. Dr. Bowden contines that some airlines train staff to recognize anaphylaxis symptoms, others provide special meals or make an announcement but some do nothing at all. Last year, the Department of Transportation asked the public about a possible peanut ban on planes. It presented three options for debate: a complete ban on serving peanuts on planes, a ban on serving them when a passenger requests, or a requirement for peanut-free buffer zones. However, in a statement from a DOT spokesperson for the Economist they stated that “the Department is prohibited by law from restricting the serving of peanuts aboard aircrafts.” The same Economist article states that of the 134 major airline companies around the world, only 11 have allergy protocols that ensure the passengers safety. Along with that, none bann food allergens, such as peanuts, because apparently it isn’t the best solution. Dr. Ruby Pawankar of the World Allergy Organization states that this request creates a complacent society where people assume that they are safe. Instead, providing masks or wipes for the seats would be a more practical and reliable way to ensure safety for passengers on board with a peanut allergy.

So to wrap this speech up in a nutshell, we can see that the knowledge and spread of awareness about life threatening allergies is just beginning. Today, we learned about anaphylaxis by understanding how it works, then we looked at regulations that restaurants and schools have adopted before finally looking at how the airline industry has dealt with the increasing number of anaphylaxis cases. Although many kids joke about being allergic to homework, which is typically my excuse, one day that might be true if the rise of anaphylaxis continues.