Are you one of the over 65 per cent of US adults who think that food allergies can be controlled with a daily dose of medicine? If so, that’s just one of the myths that show the lack of public understanding when it comes to the reality of food allergy.

An online survey of over 2,000 adults has revealed just how widespread many misconceptions are.

Of the survey respondents, nearly 50 per cent believed there is a general cure for food allergy. While some therapies show promise (including sublingual immunotherapy), there is no generic cure.

An additional 40 per cent thought anaphylaxis could be prevented and that completely avoiding the allergen was not necessary to avoid anaphylaxis.

The study author, Dr Ruchi S. Gupta, said, “The public’s food allergy knowledge and awareness is critical to the safety of children with food allergy.” He went on to say that over 3/4 of deaths from food allergy occur outside the home. This is where the allergic individual depends on the understanding of those without food allergies.

Most people are aware that schools have a unique requirement to deal with food allergies. Gupta’s study indicated that 85 per cent agreed that schools have a special mandate to keep food-allergic children safe. There is also a general agreement that policies must be improved in order to fully meet this mandate.

At the same time, respondents said they did not want those policies to include banning peanut products nor special tables for allergic eaters. This seems a contradiction in terms: schools should protect allergic kids but policies should not include strictures specifically designed for that protection.

The survey had a bright point: it showed that public knowledge was strongest in the areas of allergy symptoms and severity. More than 9 out of 10 respondents correctly indicated that food allergy could be potentially fatal.

Source: WFIE.com