Many people are afflicted with allergies in modern times. As a result, various things come to mind when a person hears the word allergy -- pollen, bees and dogs. However, there is another element that is prevalent in everyday life that can cause severe allergic reactions -- food,  the most common allergens being peanuts, tree nuts, milk, eggs, wheat, soy, fish and shellfish. While many people think of food as being delicious, others see it as a danger to be approached with caution.

According to the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network, or FAAN, there are approximately twelve million Americans with food allergies. In Gloversville High School alone, there are four students with a food allergy. The reactions within these students’ bodies are the same as a person with an environmental allergy. An allergy is caused by the immune system trying to protect itself from a harmless invader. Chemicals are released in this process, which causes a reaction. These reactions can vary from an itchy throat to a life-threatening reaction.

There is no cure for food allergies. There is a treatment, however, in which a patient is given small amounts of their allergen in hopes of building up a tolerance toward it. This is only to be done in the presence of a doctor, and can take a lot of time.

The only way to avoid a reaction is to avoid the allergen. People with allergies have to read the ingredients of everything they eat, no matter how unlikely to contain an allergen the product seems. For example, people with peanut allergies have to read the ingredients of breads and pizzas, to check for hidden allergens. People with allergies also have to avoid things that say they “may contain traces of” their allergen. If a person is ever unsure, they should not eat that food.

The amount of people with food allergies is increasing. Between 1997 and 2002 the amount of peanut allergies doubled. Research is being done to find out why, and to find a cure. Until then, the only thing to do is avoid allergens and educate others.

It is important for people without food allergies to learn how to accommodate the needs of a person with an allergy. Having other people around to help deal with a food allergy makes life a lot easier. Since the amount of people with allergies is increasing, it is very likely that a person will be in close contact with someone with an allergy. If a person will in the future have a friend, coworker or family member with an allergy, they will have to learn how to help them.

Therefore, the sooner people learn to deal with allergies, the better it will be in the future, if they are close to someone with an allergy. The more people who know how to treat a food allergy, the better life will be for people with allergies.