Food-Allergy Related Bullying

As a parent, I can tell you that bullying is increasing and has been since after COVID.  The middle- and high-school my children attended needed to place cameras throughout the school to catch kids in the act of vandalism and harassing others.  I asked one of my children’s schools to have this put to a stop but they clearly told me that it was impossible due to not enough staff.  We had to disenroll this child from our public school district and send them to a private school, where they have been much happier and thrived.  I have watched as the same standardized test scores at the public school, where this child was bullied, dropped precipitously, and the same test a few months later it returned to the ninety ninth percentile.  This proved to me that we should to something about bullying as it affect children’s self esteem but also their progress and the entire point of why they are going to school.

This was horrible and heartbreaking to live through but thankfully, my child is not allergic to food.  Bullying over food allergies can and has been life-threatening.

A recent article by one of my colleagues, Dr. Schepel (Schepel, Ianthe et al. Factors Associated with Risk of Food Allergy-Related Bullying. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 2024: Volume 153, Issue 2, AB49), reviewed the factors associated with food-related bullying.  This paper revealed that 36.6% of children, age 5-17 years old, have experienced food allergy-related bullying. Having asthma, eczema and anxiety, increased the risk of being bullied.  Factors that indicated a worse reaction, such as need to use epinephrine, neurologic, respiratory or cardiac symptoms, need to go the ED and need to be hospitalized overnight, all increased the reaction of being bullied. Increased bullying was not associated with level of parental education, household income, child’s gender, type of school attended, the history of needing to receive epinephrine in school, the food to which the child was allergic, or lifetime number of epinephrines administered for the food allergy.

This does not have to happen!  There are so many treatments nowadays…Food oral immunotherapy and Xolair, that fear of food does not need to be limiting.

What are you waiting for?  If you or your child need help controlling allergies or if you think you need testing or treatment or that you might be a good candidate for allergy shots, Dr. Wendt and her team staff at Relieve Allergy, Asthma & Hives would love to help. Call for testing or treatment today! Call 480-500-1902 or request an appointment at https://relieveallergyaz.com/contact now!  Begin your allergy testing journey with Dr. Wendt at Relieve Allergy in Scottsdale, Arizona—It’s time to take care of yourself!

Learn more about Dr. Wendt and Relieve Allergy Asthma & Hives at www.relieveallergyaz.com or connect with us: https://www.facebook.com/RelieveAllergy/, https://www.linkedin.com/in/julie-wendt/, https://x.com/RelieveAllergy, https://www.instagram.com/relieve_allergy/ or https://www.youtube.com/@JulieWendt-qx7jm.

Did you know? Dr. Wendt wrote the book on allergies.  Buy it NOW!

Relieve Allergy Asthma & Hives is located near Kierland Commons, 21803 N. Scottsdale Road Ste. 200, and has convenient evening and morning hours to accommodate your schedule. Dr. Wendt is also available for telemedicine appointments as appropriate. Most insurance plans are accepted.

DISCLAIMER: This blog is not meant to substitute for medical care by an Allergist-Immunologist nor is it intended to provide medical advice or imply a Physician-Patient relationship with its readers or their family. It is intended to provide guidance, direction, and moral support from someone experienced in testing and treating allergies. This is also not meant to be a “do-it-yourself” manual or a “how to” overcome your allergies. Some of the issues mentioned, whether allergic or look-a-like, can be dangerous or if left unchecked, deadly. Please develop a relationship with a Physician you trust to help you with diagnosis, advice, questions, and treatment regarding your and your family’s medical conditions.