Food Allergy Week 21-27 May 2023
Food Allergy Week is an initiative of A&AA and is dedicated to promoting community understanding of food allergy to help protect those at risk. Australia has the highest incidence of food allergy in the world, and it’s growing at a rapid rate with the country seeing a 7% year on year increase in food allergy fatalities over the last 15 years. We estimate that there are more than 500,000 Australians with a diagnosed food allergy and many more undiagnosed.
The theme for Food Allergy Week 2023 is adrenaline injector first for anaphylaxis, asthma reliever second: a life-saving order. Many people that have both food allergy and asthma sometimes confuse anaphylaxis for asthma. If you have food allergy and asthma and you experience sudden breathing difficulty within a few hours after eating, always use your adrenaline injector first and then your asthma reliever puffer. If in doubt, give adrenaline injector first.
If you have both asthma and food allergy, we encourage you to go to your GP to learn how to manage both and how to respond in an emergency. It is always good practice to have well controlled asthma and this includes in people with food allergy as breathing difficulty is common in anaphylaxis. Well controlled asthma can help reduce your risk of severe anaphylaxis. Always have your ASCIA Action Plan for Anaphylaxis and your adrenaline injector with you. Follow instructions on your ASCIA Action Plan. You can read more about asthma and anaphylaxis here.
We are here to help.
During Food Allergy Week 2022 we highlighted how Allergy & Anaphylaxis Australia can help those with food allergy, especially those who live in rural and remote Australia who have limited access to health care.
Trained health educators on our telephone help line are available to talk you through your food allergy management questions and point you in the right direction for the best medical care. If you subscribe to A&AA we will send you regular e-newsletters, allergen related food recalls, research opportunities and more. It's free to subscribe.
Please also follow us on our social media channels - Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter.
Reaching out for help if you suspect you have food allergy or soon after being diagnosed can help to make food allergy management easier. We are here to listen and to give evidence-based information and advice. We know it is difficult, but you can be supported by people who understand life with food allergy.
How can you help?
We ask that our members, subscribers and friends share our Food Allergy Week resources through your social media networks, help to inform others, and raise awareness about everyday management of food allergy. You can also download our free resources to display and share in schools, workplaces, and other community venues.
