Allergy
Awareness
A learning module for Rose Tree
Media School District staff
What is an Allergy ?
An allergy is a condition of unusual
sensitivity which certain individuals
may develop to substances
ordinarily harmless.
Sensitizing substances are
called allergens.
Common allergens include: pollens,
molds, house dust, animal dander,
bee venom, antibiotics and other
medications, nuts, peanuts, milk,
and shellfish.
Others you may not think of include:
feathers, chemicals in cosmetics,
wood, dyes, perfumes, metal (such
as nickel), eggs, wheat, heat, cold,
sunlight, and even exercise!
Allergens may be taken into
the body by:
being swallowed;
(such as nuts, peanuts, or
shellfish)
being injected,
(such as bee venom)
contact on the skin,
(such as poison ivy or
latex)
inhalation,
(such as when poison ivy is
burned or latex particles
become airborne)
or bacterial infection in the body.
What happens within the body
to cause an allergic reaction?
When an allergen is taken into the
body, the body produces antibodies
which react to recognize and attack
it. That is why sensitivity often does
not happen with the first contact. It
may take several exposures for the
reaction to occur.
The antibodies (specifically
antibodies called IgE) attach to mast
cells throughout the body. These
mast cells release histamines that
produce a reaction in sensitive
tissues such as eye, nose, skin,
respiratory track, digestive track, and
cardiovascular system.
Who is most likely to develop
an allergy?
An allergy can develop at any age
from birth to death. Children aged 5
to 15 are more apt to develop
allergies than older individuals, yet
people of any age may experience
their first allergy attack—after
having lived
allergy-free for years.
There is a hereditary component to
allergic tendency, but anyone can
develop an allergy.
The 5 most common food
allergies in children are:






Milk
Eggs
Peanuts (including products made with peanut oil)
Tree Nuts ( such as walnuts, cashews, pecans, etc.)
Wheat
Soy
Treatment for Allergies
 #1. Removal of the allergen, if possible.
 #2. Medication such as antihistamines,
epinephrine, and others.
 #3 In some cases, patients opt for
desensitization injections
With desensitization injections, a tiny
amount of the allergen is injected
under the skin and is gradually
increased over time so that the body
can build up resistance. This
causes the body to increase
production of a different type of
antibody called IgG, which
recognizes the allergen but doesn’t
attach to histamine releasing mast
cells.
People working in a school district
may have responsibility for
individuals who have potentially life
threatening allergies, so it is
important to know how to recognize
and manage a serious allergic
reaction.
What is anaphylaxis or an
anaphylactic reaction?
It is a sudden, severe, allergic
reaction that involves various
systems of the body simultaneously.
It is a true, lifethreatening emergency!
An anaphylactic reaction, if not
treated, can quickly lead to
anaphylactic shock.
When this happens, exposure to the
allergen makes blood vessels dilate
which rapidly causes a severe drop
in blood pressure.
It is important to recognize and act
quickly during an anaphylactic
emergency because the reaction
may advance rapidly to respiratory
failure, cardio-vascular shock, and
sudden death.
School district employees such as
teachers, bus drivers, and others
may be in situations where they will
be expected to recognize a severe
allergic reaction and deliver
emergency treatment in the form of
an epi-pen or other prescribed
medication.
A school district employee, or any
person, for that matter, is legally
covered under the “Good Samaritan
Law” for assisting a victim in an
emergency situation.
In fact, a person who would fail to
assist might be considered
negligent. In any event, the
consequences of not administering
an Epi-pen (or other prescribed
medication) to an individual
experiencing a life-threatening
allergic reaction are unthinkable.
Please click on the website below for
a video about how to recognize an
anaphylactic reaction and use an
Epi-Pen auto-injection system.
 http://www.anaphylaxis
.com/~anaphyla/page/
english-cable--how-touse-epipenreg-autoinjector--epinephrine-anaphylaxis
If you have questions about
allergies, allergic reactions, or
administering emergency
medication, contact any of the Rose
Tree Media School Nurses. We will
be happy to offer training and
answer questions.
Be aware.
Be informed.
Be prepared to act to save a life.