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Food allergies should not be taken lightly. Although many allergic reactions to food are not life threatening, some are. According to Dr. Chad Oh, UCLA immunologist and author of "How to Live with a Nut Allergy," 100 nut-sensitive Americans die every year after eating nuts or peanuts.
Take the following quiz to find out how much you know about food allergies:
1) All of these are common food allergens except: a) fish; b) wheat and eggs; c) coconut; d) milk and soy; e) peanuts and tree nuts. Answer: c
2) Symptoms related to food allergies include: a) skin rashes, b) wheezing; c) sneezing, c) swollen lips or other body parts. Answer: All.
3) Food allergy symptoms develop how soon after eating? a) Within minutes; b) Within hours; c) Between commercials. Answer: all are correct. Reaction times vary with individuals.
4) The culprit that initiates an allergic response is a) fat; b) carbohydrate; c) protein; d) Donald Trump. Answer: c.
5) The best way to diagnose a food allergy is: a) ask your hairdresser; b) see a board-certified allergist; c) a double-blind placebo-controlled food challenge. Answer: b,c. Other tests may help identify food allergies but the most reliable is a food "challenge" by a trained immunologist.
6) The best way to manage a confirmed food allergy is to: a) order mega-doses of vitamins from the Internet; b) ignore it and it will go away; c) avoid the offending food. Answer: c
7) An "elimination diet" a) is high in fiber; b) eliminates all foods that may cause an allergic reaction; c) may be deficient in essential nutrients. Answer b,c.
8) True or False. Food allergies are the same as food intolerances. False. Food allergies involve the immune system and are usually caused by specific proteins in food. Food intolerances do not involve the immune system and can be caused by carbohydrates - such as in lactose intolerance - and other substances in food.
9) How many people allergic to peanuts (a legume) are also allergic to tree nuts such as walnuts and pecans? a) half; b) none: c) repeat the question, please. Answer: a.
10) Women at high risk for food allergies may be able to decrease their infant's risk for allergies if they: a) breastfeed; b) eat more high vitamin C foods during lactation; c) stay away from chocolate-covered peanuts. Answer: a,b,c. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends breastfeeding women at high risk for allergies avoid peanuts and tree nuts to decrease their infant's risk for severe food allergies.
11) Severe food allergies a) may get worse with each exposure; b) are often not related to the amount of food eaten; c) can be life threatening. Answer: a,b,c.
12) If you have a severe allergy to nuts, you should a) not take a peanut flight; b) avoid even traces of nuts in food or on food utensils; c) wear a Medic-Alert bracelet; d) ask your doctor about medications to use in case of emergency. Answer: All are correct.
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(Barbara Quinn is a registered dietitian at the Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula, Calif. Readers may send her an e-mail at bquinn(AT)chomp.org.)
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(c) 2005, The Monterey County Herald (Monterey, Calif.). Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service.
