As a kid who need to carry the epipen since the day my doctor diagnosed that I am allergic to certain kinds of food, I am really surprised to learn about this fact from my friends in China.
I just realized many people live in China and even in Hong Kong where the epipen JEXT were already registered have never heard about it.
So what is an epipen? Here is the definition I copied from Wikipedia.
An epinephrine autoinjector is a medical device for injecting a measured dose or doses of epinephrine (adrenaline) by means of autoinjector technology. It is most often used for the treatment of anaphylaxis. The first epinephrine autoinjector was brought to market in the 1980s.
Plus: I am Asian and actually Chinese. I was born in Canada and my parents took me back to China when I was four-month-old. I left China at the age of six. And my family moved around a lot then. They found me could hardly breathe after eating seafood when I was two in China. What I wanna clarify here is that I do not think my allergy is because of 1) genetic reasons since nobody in my family has food allergy or 2)environmental factors because I guess I did not spend much time here before the first time my allergic reaction came out or 3)my parents did not introduce peanuts/tree nuts/seafood or other possible food allergens to me when I was baby, for I actually ate peanut butter and I was okay at that time. However, I would certainly have shortness of breath now even I just put peanuts in my mouth without swallowing it.
One of the strangest things is I am the only kid in my family who has so many food allergies. By the way I am quite sure I am not adopted( I doubted that but my two elder brothers proved I am not and my dad showed me the video he took when I was born.)
Can you leave your ideas and comments about this topic please? Also I am going to go to China this summer so I eagerly want some suggestions about it? Do you have/see any this kind of allergies if you live in China?
My brother thought I should not go back because many things are cooked with peanut oil and people would not notice it most of the time. My doctor said it would be okay as long as I am with my epipen. :(
Thank you so much.
When my daughter was born, we did a allergic source test, so we know she can't eat seafood even grapes. But now she is 10 years old, and she is able to eat those now.
But in your situation I think it's really severe :"shortness of breath now even I just put peanuts in my mouth without swallowing it."So if you come to China. please avoid all the peanuts production far away, perhaps when you eat outside, you must ask what kind of oil they used or if the food include peanuts material. You need to be very careful. Good luck to you.
First of all,welcome to China.
About why ppl in china rarely have peanut allergy,I guess bcuz we eat almost everything(not inclues dogs or any other uncommon lives:)) since we're a child,and our body system maybe already got used to all thoes elements?
I can't really tell,maybe you can go to see a chinese traditional medic and see if that helps.:).
Hi Victoria!
As I know, some foreigners are allergic to peanuts.
And some Chinese are allergic to seafood, like my uncle, but it's weired that he is not allergic to seafood now (after many years he recovered from that, he said he didn't stop eating seafood)
When you come to China, you'd better pay attention to the ingredients of food, especially sweet snacks, I guess some of them contain peanuts.
Good luck!
Hello,I live around people who are not allergic to peanuts,and sea food.I knew the word of "peanut allergy" by watching the Big Bang theory.Through the Internet I found peanut allergy in western countries especially serious.My point of your allergy maybe because 1)genetic,because the gene has dominant gene and recessive gene.Your father and brother is not because they body gene carry a dominant,whereas,your body gene carry two recessive.or maybe because 2)your body autoimmune.The meaning of that is peanuts allergy is caused by the body's response to the symptoms of special material.Seafood contains excessive histamine which can cause human body unwell,a few people because of lack of natural enzyme decomposition histamine will allergy by eating seafood.
Welome to China ,when you eat outside you must ask what kind oil they used or if the food include peanut material before you order dishes.If you stay suffice careful attention you should be ok,besides,you won't forget to take your epipen.My English is very bad,it takes my two hours to write these ,I don't know you understand,I will do my best to improve my English.Thank you,at last you will have a good journey in China.
