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Food Allergies And Food Intolerances

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Do you remember your days of trying to fit into the typical student stereotype during school just to be accepted by your classmates? Now imagine yourself with a life-threatening condition that must be treated immediately and left untreated could lead to death within a matter of minutes. Children with food allergies are constantly at risk for a life-threatening reaction. “Food allergies are caused by abnormal immunological responses to a food, whereas food intolerances have a non-immunological basis” (Begen). Food allergies and intolerances are classified as a food hypersensitivity where “individuals who suffer reproducible, objective symptoms whenever they eat a particular food” (Begen). The symptoms of food allergies and intolerances differ by their severity. Food allergy symptoms include: anaphylaxis, digestive problems, hives, rashes, and swollen airways to the point of not being able to breathe. Food intolerance symptoms are generally delayed, in comparison to food allergies, and include the following: diarrhea, indigestion, nausea, vomiting, cramping and pain in the abdomen. Food allergies can affect a person’s everyday life, more than you can think. Besides the physical aspect, there is a social aspect to having a food allergy. It can affect a person through having to eat different foods, sit at a different table, or being excluded from an event due to the severity of their allergy. This can be very detrimental towards school aged children through the social aspect of

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