Food Allergy Awareness Week turned into Food Allergy Action Month at some point, was created to help raise awareness for the From FARE:
In 1998, the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network, now FARE, created Food Allergy Awareness Week to educate the public about food allergies, a potentially life-threatening medical condition. This year’s awareness week falls on May 10-16, 2015, but we will have activities and ways to get involved throughout the entire month of May for Food Allergy Action Month. This is a special opportunity to shine a spotlight on food allergies and anaphylaxis. There are many easy ways you can get involved in raising awareness, educating others and inspiring action.
For more information about food allergies and their impact, you can check out this website on foodallergy.com. Here are a couple excerpts:
The job of the body’s immune system is to identify and destroy germs (such as bacteria or viruses) that make you sick. A food allergy results when the immune system mistakenly targets a harmless food protein – an allergen – as a threat and attacks it.
Suspected food allergies should always be evaluated, diagnosed, and treated by a qualified medical professional, such as a board-certified allergist. Your primary care provider may refer you to an allergist.
When an adult or a child develops a food allergy, everyone in the family learns to meet new challenges. Your busy lifestyle requires more planning now, and you always have to be vigilant, whether you’re at home or out and about. Fortunately, experts and families living with food allergies have developed a wealth of information and resources that will help you to stay safe and enjoy a rich, active life.
You can help spread the word about this cause by sharing this post or any of the sharable materials provided by FARE on their website. They even have a calendar that includes specific things you can do on each day of the month to help promote food allergy awareness. If you think you might want to get tested for allergies, you should contact your medical provider to schedule an appointment. Thanks for reading!