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Food Allergy Research Paper

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Rakiya Witwer
Social Welfare 110
12/14/15

Food Allergies is a Health and Psychosocial Problem.
OVERVIEW OF ISSUE -
Food allergies over the years have become a health and psychosocial problem affecting the daily lives of school age children and their families. From 1997 to 2007 there was an increase of food allergies by 18%, an estimated 15 million Americans have food allergies 8% of that are children and 5% adults. (Lanser et al 2015). 1 in 3 Americans has some form of food allergy, 1 in 12 American child has a doctor diagnosed food allergy. (CDC, 2010). There are an estimated 90,000 emergency room visits connected to food allergies and adults with food allergies have a 65% chance of passing it genetically to their child. (CDC, 2010). According to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study there was a 50% increase in food allergies among children between 1997 and 2011. (CDC 2013).
In order to understand this issue we have to start by defining what food allergy is. An allergic reaction occurs when the body?s immune system does not recognize a food particularly protein and it builds histamines to protect the immune system from this food. There are varying symptoms of the reaction including, …show more content…

There is no FDA approved treatment for food allergies but there are ongoing clinical trials that have shown some success in desensitization. In a recent clinical trial of oral immunotherapy that combined probiotics with allergen, 80% of children were able to tolerate allergen after trial ended. (Tang et al 2015). Treatments such as OIT have been shown to be successful depending on the level of severity of children?s food allergies. As food allergy sufferers continue to grow in numbers Social Workers can play a major role in in helping does affected especially children who are the most vulnerable in our society, navigate safely, their daily interaction with

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