Source: Annual Congress 2002 - The development of allergic sensitization / asthma in children
Disease area: Airway diseases, Paediatric lung diseases

Abstract

The prevalence of food allergy in Norway is unknown. Also, little is known about risk groups, offending foods, the circumstances under which the reactions occur, and the frequency and significance of different symptoms. As part of the Government Action Plan against asthma, allergy and indoor-air-related diseases, funding has been provided from the year 2000 on for a national reporting system and register of severe allergic reactions to food. The purpose is to obtain statistical information about severe allergic reactions to food, to offer supplementary serologic analyses, to offer food allergen analyses when relevant, and to offer reporting doctors advice and information.
The reporting system was launched July 1, 2000. By December 2001 about 100 cases had been reported. There was a marked peak of cases among young adults, with no significant gender difference. About 50% of cases had an onset of symptoms within 30 minutes of food intake. Sixty-three per cent had known allegies, 55% known food allergy, while 26% had known asthma. Among cases where relevant information was given, most of the cases experienced their reaction at a restaurant or at a party or visit away from home. The most common incriminating foods were peanuts/nuts, fish and shellfish. Serologically (specific IgE), peanuts, hazelnuts, and shellfish were the three most common foods. The most common first symptoms were swelling/oedema, urticaria, pruritus, gastrointestinal symptoms, rash/rubor, and respiratory symptoms, in that order.
Asthma is considered a risk factor for serious food allergic reactions, and it has been claimed that in lethal food anaphylactic reactions most patients do not die from shock, but from respiratory problems. In our material (no deaths) respiratory symptoms were relatively infrequent, at least as an early symptom.

Rating:

Share or cite this content

Citations should be made in the following way:
M. Løvik, H. G. Wiker, B. Gondrosen, G. Omholt-Jensen (Oslo, Norway). Respiratory symptoms in severe allergic reactions to food: data from the Norwegian national reporting system and register of severe allergic reactions to food. Eur Respir J 2002; 20: Suppl. 38, 788

Member's Comments

No comment yet.

Related content which might interest you: Common food allergens in children with respiratory allergic symptoms Source: Eur Respir J 2003; 22: Suppl. 45, 136s Year: 2003 Is prevalence of asthma, respiratory symptoms and allergic sensitisation still increasing in Swedish children? Source: Annual Congress 2007 - Allergy and asthma - environmental and metabolic risk factors Year: 2007 Associations between food allergy and respiratory manifestations in a population-based sample of children Source: Eur Respir J 2004; 24: Suppl. 48, 170s Year: 2004 Asthma and allergic rhinitis increase respiratory symptoms and disability in cold weather Source: International Congress 2018 – Epidemiology of asthma and allergy: prevalence, incidence and risk factors Year: 2018 Fewer allergic respiratory disorders among farmers' children in a closed birth cohort from Sweden Source: Eur Respir J 2001; 17: 1151-1157 Year: 2001 The German severe asthma register Source: Annual Congress 2012 - Quality of life and clinical parametres in monitoring airway diseases Year: 2012 Swimming pool attendance and risk of asthma and allergic symptoms in children Source: Eur Respir J 2009; 34: 1304-1310 Year: 2009 Real-life effectiveness of omalizumab in patients with severe persistent allergic (IgE-mediated) asthma: Pooled data from 3 UK centres Source: Annual Congress 2011 - Allergen immunotherapy and anti-immunoglobulin E Year: 2011 Real-life effectiveness of omalizumab in patients with severe persistent allergic (IgE-mediated) asthma: Pooled data from 4 UK centres Source: Annual Congress 2012 - Asthma: risk factors and effect of anti-IgE Year: 2012 Long-term effectiveness of omalizumab in patients with severe persistent allergic (IgE-mediated) asthma: Real-life data from 3 UK centres Source: Annual Congress 2012 - Asthma: risk factors and effect of anti-IgE Year: 2012 Prevalence estimates of current asthma and chronic cough/phlegm, but not of allergic rhinitis, are strongly related to response percentage in a mail survey Source: Eur Respir J 2007; 30: Suppl. 51, 149s Year: 2007 Real-life effectiveness of omalizumab in patients with severe persistent allergic (IgE-mediated) asthma at a single UK hospital Source: Annual Congress 2009 - Severe asthma and its treatment Year: 2009 Should patients with mild asthma be excluded from allergic rhinitis drug trials? Source: International Congress 2015 – Immune mechanisms in the human lung Year: 2015 The co-morbidity of allergic hay fever, asthma and related disorders in randomly selected patients with respiratory allergic diseases Source: Annual Congress 2005 - Environmental factors, allergy and asthma Year: 2005 The ’real-life’ long-term efficacy of omalizumab in severe persistent IgE-mediated allergic asthma in Malta Source: International Congress 2016 – Asthma management Year: 2016 Effect of omalizumab treatment on allergic comorbidities in patients with severe allergic asthma – real life experience from Czech Anti-IgE Registry Source: International Congress 2017 – Asthma and allergy: from the bench to the bedside Year: 2017 Time trends in clinical characteristics of patients with severe asthma: data from the Belgian Severe asthma register (BSAR) Source: International Congress 2018 – Tests and trends in asthma Year: 2018 Drug hypersensitivity and food allergy in subjects with persistent asthma Source: Annual Congress 2009 - What is new in the regulation and monitoring of airway function? Year: 2009 Childhood allergic sensitisation and respiratory manifestations. 6C study-France Source: Eur Respir J 2007; 30: Suppl. 51, 399s Year: 2007 Respiratory symptoms and asthma among swimming pool workers – results from a questionnaire study Source: Annual Congress 2008 - Epidemiology of asthma and allergy Year: 2008