Easter is a time of year when everyone, particularly children, indulge in their favourite foods, but this can come at a high risk.
St John Ambulance First Aid expert John Parr said there has been a sharp increase in the number of food allergies in Australia in the past 10 years.
“Australia has one of the highest allergic incidence rates in the developed world,” John said.
“As many as one in 20 Australians suffer from a potentially fatal food allergy, with the main offenders being everyday foods like eggs, peanuts, milk and fish.
“Australia has the highest prevalence of peanut allergy among young children, and one child in every 50 has a dairy allergy.
John said these statistics meant that members of the public should be careful about what they eat, especially over Easter when everyone spends more time eating out or at other people’s homes.
“When eating out at a restaurant, or at someone else’s home, it can be difficult to know what ingredients are in your food,” he said.
“It’s important to be ensure you let anyone who is preparing your food know that you have an allergy so they are aware of your dietary requirements.
John said that parents should be aware that foods such as chocolate may contain nuts (or traces of nuts) which can pose a serious danger for people with nut allergies.
“If your child has a nut or dairy allergy, it’s probably a good idea to avoid Easter eggs,” he said.
An allergic reaction occurs when a person's immune system reacts to normally harmless substances in the environment. Allergic reactions can be mild, causing eczema or watery eyes; or may result in severe wheezing or stridor (high pitched sound) requiring immediate medical treatment.
“Serious allergic reactions can cause blood pressure to fall dramatically and breathing to become impaired,” John said.
“The face, tongue and neck can become swollen, increasing the risk of suffocation, and the amount of oxygen reaching vital organs (including heart, lungs and brain) is severely reduced.”
Continued over for more information as well as signs, symptoms and treatment of allergic reactions...
John said it was important to learn basic first aid, in case of emergencies such as severe allergic reactions.
“It’s the people we are closest to that we’re putting at risk if we don’t take the time to learn basic first aid,” he said.
“By learning first aid, a person can feel confident in treating someone who may be having an allergic reaction, and could potentially save their life.”
St John Ambulance (Qld) offers a range of first aid training courses that teach participants how to deal with anaphylaxis. For more information visit www.stjohnqld.com.au or phone 1300 360 455 today.
Signs and symptoms of severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis)
- Difficulty and / or noisy breathing
- Wheeze or persistent cough
- Difficulty talking or hoarse voice
- Swelling / tightness of throat
- Swelling of the tongue
- Young children may become pale and floppy
- Loss of consciousness or collapse
Management
- Follow DRSABCD (Danger, Response, Send for Help, Airway, Breathing, Circulation and Defibrillation).
- If the casualty is carrying an adrenalin auto-injector (either an EpiPen® or an Anapen®) it should be used at once.
Let them administer the auto-injector themselves, or ask them if they require assistance to do so.
- Call 000 for an ambulance.
- Keep casualty in lying or sitting position.
Observe and record pulse and breathing. Do not allow casualty to stand as this may result in sudden drop in blood pressure and a loss of consciousness.
- If casualty is conscious:
Help them to sit in a position that assists breathing.
- If casualty is unconscious:
Check for breathing and response, and prepare to give CPR if necessary.
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