More kids are dealing with severe food allergies. And according to statistics, 100 to 200 people die each year from severe allergic reactions.

The National Institute of Health says 1 out of every 25 children has a food allergy, a 20 percent increase in the last 10 years.

Eleven-year-old Quinn Blodgett wishes he could eat cookies and cake, but it’s something he’ll never be able to enjoy.

On Christmas day about 10 years ago, Quinn’s mother Karen Blodgett was making her traditional french toast breakfast for the family when 11-month-old Quinn started having a reaction.

Blodgett says, “He took 1 bite of it and blew up, his lips started swelling, eyes started swelling, they swelled shut, he started throwing up, it was not a pleasant few moments.”

It turns out Quinn had a severe allergy to eggs. So severe that the family has had to keep eggs out of the house completely, because even if he touched something that touched the eggs he would break out.

His mom says it was the best thing to do to keep her son safe. She says, “Avoidance, 100 percent avoidance, and so you read every label, on absolutely everything.”

And Dr. Martin Voss, an allergist at Luther Midelfort in Eau Claire agrees, saying some people's allergies can be especially sensitive. So people have to be vigilant when dealing with food, particularly at restaurants or potluck dinners.

Dr. Voss says, “There’s still that concept unfortunately out there that people can't die from this.”
But he says treating allergic reactions takes a lot more than a dose of Benadryl or other over-the-counter antihistamine.

Dr. Voss says, “The only thing that will stop an allergic reaction is epinephrine.” He says even doctors don't always know how to treat it. He says a recent study reported that people are getting epinephrine in the emergency room only 1 out of every 8 times.

Dr. Voss says, “The biggest reason for anaphylactic deaths is too little epinephrine, too late, it’s been a continuing theme over all the decades.”

He also says there isn't a good reason for the increase in child food allergies. For now his best advice is to be educated and to avoid the allergen all together. He also says having an epinephrine pen is a good idea. And if you're having a reaction, get medical help.