Peanut Bans an Overreaction to Food Allergies?

NPR’s April Fulton reports that the nation's top allergy experts previewed some new guidelines that are intended to clear up confusion about the diagnosis and treatment of food allergies. At the base of the confusion, the peanut. This article examines the proposed ban of the peanut and the differences between being allergic or intolerant of certain foods.Regarding the ban on peanuts, Sami Bahna, President of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology commented "If we are going to eliminate peanuts, and another child is allergic to hazelnuts, and another child is allergic to milk, and another child to wheat — there's no end to this."While the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Disease says food allergies occur in 6 to 8 percent of kids, and about 4 percent of adults, there's a lot of self-diagnosis, overdiagnosis, and just plain misdiagnosis Bahna says.  He suggests sometimes people suspect they are allergic when they are really intolerant. This happens a lot in the case of milk, he says, and requires different treatment.Additionally, an earlier NPR report by Allison Aubrey found that several years ago, researchers at National Jewish Health in Denver conducted "food challenge" tests on 125 children with allergies and eczema and found that more than 50 percent of the kids could actually tolerate foods they were told to avoid.These findings are confusing when placed alongside the public’s conception of food allergies.Do you feel a ban on peanuts is an extreme reaction, or a medical necessity?Have you avoided foods because you believe you are allergic or intolerant? I invite you to learn more about allergic conditions, including food allergies, on this web tool,  Allergy U.If you have questions, take the initiative and call me at 866-632-5537 (NYC area) for an appointment. Together we can research your symptoms and get you the answers you need.Read the entire NPR blog post here