An estimated 6 million to 7 million Americans suffer from food allergies. Food allergy and food intolerance are not the same thing. A food allergy occurs when the immune system reacts to a certain food. Symptoms of an allergic reaction can include, but are not limited to, a tingling sensation in the mouth, swelling of the tongue and the throat, difficulty breathing, hives, vomiting, abdominal cramps, diarrhea and a loss of consciousness.
Symptoms typically appear within minutes to two hours after the person has eaten the food.
Strict avoidance of the allergy-causing food is the only way to avoid a reaction. Epinephrine is the medication of choice for controlling a reaction. If you're one of the 20 percent of Americans who suffer from some sort of motion sickness, there's relief on the horizon. The Relief Band uses light shocks to relieve nausea. Until recently, the Relief Band was only available by prescription, but now this device is available over the counter at selected retail stores and through the Internet.