Four out of 100 children have a food allergy and the number of those diagnosed continues to rise, experts say.
Though the exact cause of the increase isn't known, children with allergies and their parents must scrutinize food carefully to avoid potentially deadly situations. Two recent deaths in the Atlanta area have made more people aware of the severity of allergies.
Thursday, Tyler Davis, of Marietta, died because of what is believed to be a food allergy after eating at Kennesaw State University. Jharell Dillard, an 11th grader at Central Gwinnett High School, died Wednesday after eating a cookie.
Dillard was well aware of his peanut allergy and had had a reaction before, his father, Charles Dillard, told the AJC. Jharell, a soft-spoken teen, loved basketball and had NBA dreams, his father said. Had Jharell, 15, known the store-bought cookie he took a bite of contained traces of nuts, he wouldn't have eaten it.
"This was one of those freak accidents," Dillard told the AJC. "He was very, very careful about what he ate."
While family, friends, classmates and teachers mourn Jharell's death, others hope the tragedy serves as an eye-opening lesson. Each year, about 150 people die from an allergic reaction to food, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
"Being prepared for accidents is key," Dr. Karen DeMuth, a pediatric allergy and immunology specialist, told the AJC. “You need to know what to do and how to react when you have an accident."
When a person with a food allergy accidentally ingests the allergen, several symptoms can occur, DeMuth said. Skin rashes, swelling, respiratory distress, coughing, wheezing, sneezing and vomiting are all possible, she said.
If a child is having a severe allergic reaction, also called anaphylaxis, there is one treatment: Epinephrine.
The medication, which is injected, is often dispensed under the brand name EpiPen, DeMuth said. Once injected, it works immediately to stop the reaction and lasts only about 10-15 minutes, allowing enough time to make an emergency call to 911, she said.
Having an EpiPen nearby, and knowing how to use it, can relieve some of the stress that a food allergy can bring for both parents and children, said DeMuth, who works at both Emory University and Children's Healthcare of Atlanta.
There is currently no cure for food allergies. But still, many allergy sufferers don't carry the injection, relying instead on the belief that they can avoid the allergen, which may not always be possible. Doctors refer to this as "risk drift," DeMuth said.
“This happens to every one of us," DeMuth said. "You just have to remind yourself every day of why it’s so important.”
Education about the dangers of food allergies is key to preventing tragedies, such as Jharell's death, according to Aleasa Word, a mother of a child with eight food allergies and an advocate. Word's daughter has twice been the victim of "peanut bullying," where another child has tried to force peanut butter on her daughter's face.
"Kids don't understand that someone could really get sick," Word said.
As the executive director of the Food Allergic Multi-Cultural Society of Delaware, Word said people must realize allergies cross all races. The group plans to reach out to Jharell's family by sending flowers for the teen's funeral, she said.
"People need to understand that this affects everyone," Word said. "We’re all one big family with one problem.”
Not everyone with food allergies will have a severe reaction, such as the one Jharell suffered. For most people with food allergies, sitting next to someone eating the allergen isn't enough to cause a problem. Soap and water are enough to remove the peanut allergen, DeMuth said.
The Food Allergy Kids of Atlanta group offers support and educational opportunities for families dealing with food allergies.
“There is no way to know how severe a reaction will be," DeMuth said. "If you're being careful and you're prepared, you're in control. You're always ready."
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