Allergies demand caution in school, but South students are prepared

Nadia Spock, Staff writer

Thoughts of death flooded the mind of sophomore Annamarie Grafing, as her throat began to open and close, she was feeling faint and slowly losing consciousness.

Living with some serious allergies requires constant watch over your surroundings, especially when at any moment you could be prone to a reaction. “We were having a girls night,” said Grafing about the discovery of her allergy to Acetone, a drying agent commonly used in nail polish.

Due to the fact the potential severity of a reaction can be very difficult to predict, epinephrine injections, also known as EpiPens, are used when dealing with a possible life-threatening reaction. Although school nurse Merilee Sullivan handles students’ EpiPens, she shared, “we advise student’s to keep them in their backpacks.”

Freshman Wyatt Lien explained his allergic reaction to bee stings as “the most painful thing I’ve ever had.” Though he has yet to have to use it, Lien now carries his own EpiPen just in case another reaction were to take place.

Despite the EpiPen being a good choice for a quick response, junior Greta Regan chose an alternative approach to her food allergy. If eaten raw, apples, cherries, plums, carrots and celery supply Regan with a reaction consisting of a swollen tongue and itchy throat. Once a month Regan now receives an allergy shot which makes her immune to the foods she is normally not able to consume.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), states that schools can only provide special diets if the student has a medical statement signed by a physician. “People say they’re allergic to foods they just don’t like,” said Theresa Conway, who works in the kitchen at South as a food service coordinator. Although the Minneapolis Public Schools can not provide any student with a special diet, they do distribute lactose reduced milk in the lunchrooms which is offered to everyone.

“More babies are being born with allergies,” said Conway. In fact, according to a recent study peanut allergies in children doubled over a five year period. Research done by the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN) stated that the best way to avoid developing a serious allergy is to have early recognition of the allergy itself.

Only eight products (dairy, egg, peanut, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, soy and wheat) make up 90% of food related allergies. “I have to be careful about what I eat,” said sophomore Alex Richardson, who is allergic to both wheat and dairy as well as pain killers. When it comes to eating out Richardson explained that it can be difficult but, “a lot of restaurants offer gluten-free menus.” Due to the fact that gluten is becoming a more common allergen, there has been a recent increase in chain restaurants accommodating those with the allergy by offering alternative menus.

Although the most common allergens are food related, some are quite unusual. Senior Allie Myren is in fact allergic to the cold. Every time her skin comes into contact with cold air, ice, or water, she will break out in hives. Myren described the allergy as uncomfortable but “not a huge problem.” In terms of curing the hives, Myren explained that she has to warm the skin effected by the reaction.

Living with a serious allergy can affect more than just what you eat. “Sometimes I can’t do labs in chemistry,” said Grafing. Not only has the acetone sometimes present in labs caused Grafing trouble, but it has also been a hindrance in one of her pastimes, fire spinning. Grafing explained that the activity requires ethanol as a fuel, which when burned will turn to acetone, causing her to experience an allergic reaction.

Allergies are a common health concern present at South as well as just about anywhere. But ever year 50,000 emergency room visits are caused just by food allergies alone, according to FAAN. Sullivan said that only two or three students at South have ever needed an ambulance due to an allergic reaction. Although many students live with various allergies day in and day out, serious allergies require special attention constantly.