A young man, in his 20s, from the northern region, who suffers from an allergy to peanuts, is currently hospitalized at Rambam in a serious condition after being exposed to this type of food. The incident, which occurred about two weeks ago, happened in a hall of joy, when the young man who took part in the event, ate ice cream that apparently contained peanuts and began to feel ill. “He left the place and went home,” says B, the boy's mother, “and contacted me so that I could remind him of the dose of medicine he should take to deal with the allergic reaction.
“While talking to me, my daughter-in-law grabbed the phone and informed me that he had collapsed and that she was calling an ambulance.” The mother's testimony indicates that the young man underwent CPR in a short time, when the MDA team arrived on the scene, but even though they managed to restore his pulse and stabilize his condition, he is being treated Since then he is in intensive care and his condition is defined as serious.
The young man's mother explains that he has always been under the supervision of an allergist, and when he suffered from an allergic reaction it was usually mild and was treated with an inhaler or antihistamines. The young man did not have an epiphane syringe, known to save lives in cases of an acute allergic reaction, at the time of the serious incident. In fact, it turns out that even though the young man was diagnosed as allergic to peanuts, many years ago – his family was not advised that he should always carry the syringe with him.
According to Dr. Eduardo Shahar, director of the clinical immunology unit at Rambam and an allergy expert, food sensitivity is very common and can manifest itself in different ways, but it must always be taken into account that it can reach a life-threatening situation: “There is a large population of people who suffer from allergies for different types of food, the most common of which are peanuts and nuts, dairy products and eggs.'
“Most people will suffer from mild symptoms, itching, swelling, shortness of breath, rashes, etc., but in rare cases, the reaction may worsen and develop into a state of low blood pressure, difficulty breathing, an anaphylactic shock and even a real danger of death,” he explains and clarifies.
He also added that “people diagnosed as allergic to food should avoid as much as possible exposure to the said foods, be regularly monitored by a specialist doctor, and listen to the treatment recommendations he gives, know the symptoms of the development of an allergic reaction, have an epiphane syringe in their possession that can save lives if a life-threatening event develops, And of course – to evacuate, as quickly as possible, to the nearest hospital in such a case.”
