A new study out of the McGill University Health Center in Montreal, Canada and published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (JACI) notes that anaphylaxis, which is a sudden and potentially life-threatening allergic reaction, seems to be increasing among children. The percentage of emergency department visits have doubled over a four-year period in the area.

“With the rising rates of allergies among Canadian children, we were interested in determining if anaphylaxis rates are also increasing,” said the main researcher. “Our findings suggest a worrisome increase in anaphylaxis rate that is consistent with the world-wide reported increase.”

Having that reaction to an allergen can occur within seconds or minutes of exposure to certain foods, medications, insect venom or latex. Some symptoms of anaphylaxis are swelling, hives, lowered blood pressure, and dilated blood vessels and in severe cases and be life-threatening.

The annual percentage in the area of emergency department visits went up from 0.20 percent to 0.41 percent and 80.2 percent of anaphylaxis cases were triggered by food, principally peanut and tree nuts.

So, if you have an allergy be careful and make sure you have your epinephrine ready and available.

Razi Berry, Founder and Publisher of Naturopathic Doctor News & Review (ndnr.com) and NaturalPath (thenatpath.com), has spent the last decade as a natural medicine advocate and marketing whiz. She has galvanized and supported the naturopathic community, bringing a higher quality of healthcare to millions of North Americans through her publications. A self-proclaimed health-food junkie and mother of two; she loves all things nature, is obsessed with organic gardening, growing fruit trees (not easy in Phoenix), laughing until she snorts, and homeschooling. She is a little bit crunchy and yes, that is her real name.