Final answer:
A food allergy is an immune response to a mistakenly identified harmful substance in food, often resulting in symptoms like itching, swelling, and in severe cases, anaphylaxis. The most common food allergens include nuts, shellfish, eggs, and milk. School policies must accommodate children with allergies, implementing strategies to mitigate risks such as environment controls and staff training.
Step-by-step explanation:
Understanding Food Allergies
A food allergy is an immune system response to a food that the body mistakenly believes is harmful. When a person with a food allergy eats the allergen, their immune system releases chemicals like histamine, leading to symptoms that can range from mild to severe. In severe cases, a food allergy can trigger anaphylaxis, which is a potentially life-threatening reaction that requires immediate medical attention.
Common Food Allergens
The eight most common food allergens are nuts, shellfish, eggs, grains, milk, soy, fish, and tree nuts. Symptoms of food allergies can include itching and swelling of the lips and mouth, vomiting, diarrhea, and trouble breathing.
Food Allergy Prevalence
The prevalence of food allergies in children is about 6% in developed countries. While this statistic doesn't state specifically that 25% of children will experience a serious allergic reaction to food in a school setting, it does highlight the need for attentive school policies regarding allergies.
Food allergies are less common in adults as many children outgrow them. However, adult food allergies can persist, especially when onset occurs later in life.
School Policies and Food Allergies
Schools typically implement policies to manage the risk of allergic reactions. This can include allergen-free zones, training staff on recognizing and responding to allergic reactions, and having emergency plans in place for anaphylaxis.
Foods that commonly cause allergies are nuts, shellfish, and eggs.
Dose-related refers to the amount of food ingested impacting the severity of the food intolerance reaction, which differs from allergies that can be triggered by even a small amount of the allergen.
Food Allergy vs. Food Intolerance
A food allergy involves the immune system while food intolerance typically does not. Food intolerance is more about the digestive system's difficulty in handling certain foods and is often dose related, meaning symptoms depend on the amount of the food eaten.