Teens and young adults with food allergies may be at a greater risk of dying from an allergic reaction than other age groups, a new study suggests.

The study, published in the April 2007 issue of .......the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, researched 31 people who died from food allergies after accidental ingestion, 58 percent of whom were between the ages of 13 and 30. The individuals either did not ask for ingredient information or received incorrect or incomplete information.

"Food allergies develop when the immune system decides that a perfectly safe food is harmful," said Anne Muñoz-Furlong, the study's lead author and founder and CEO of the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network. "A reaction occurs when antibodies attack something they don't need to attack."

Symptoms for food allergies vary for each food and from person to person, said Melissa Martilotta, director of the Nutrition Clinic at Penn State. Symptoms include hives, nausea, swelling of the lips, tongue or throat, tightening of the chest and cardiovascular problems such as a drop in blood pressure or dizziness, Muñoz-Furlong said.

If a reaction is severe enough, epinephrine pens can be used to counteract the symptoms, Muñoz-Furlong said. Epinephrine pens inject a pre-measured dose of epinephrine to the bloodstream to build up blood pressure, reduce swelling and itching and open airways, she said. Mild reactions to food can be treated with an antihistamine.

Most food allergy deaths occur when people are not carrying epinephrine or if there is a delay in calling for help, Muñoz-Furlong said. Also, people with asthma may be at a higher risk for developing life-threatening symptoms, she said.

Muñoz-Furlong said eight foods account for 90 percent of food allergies: milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, wheat and soy. About 12 million Americans have food allergies, and about 150 Americans die every year from allergic reactions to food, she said.

Brian Tozer (senior-finance) said he is allergic to peanuts and suffers nausea, hives and difficulty breathing if he eats them. Tozer said he just had a reaction last week after trying Kung-Pow Chicken at Panda Express.

"I didn't realize it had peanuts until I was about halfway through the meal," he said.

Tozer went to Mount Nittany Medical Center for treatment after using an epinephrine pen. He was given another shot of epinephrine, Benadryl through an IV and Zantac to help with stomach discomfort. He was hooked up to a heart monitor for a few hours and was prescribed prednisone, he said.

University Health Services (UHS) has had only two students receive treatment for food allergy symptoms since September, Beth Collitt, the Marketing Manager at UHS, wrote in an e-mail message.

Dining commons at Penn State offer precautions for students with food allergies, said Michele Newhard, the Special Programs training coordinator at Housing and Foods Services. She said students with food allergies can meet with the dining commons staff and receive a menu with highlighted items to avoid.

The dining commons also set up cards next to each food item that mention if a food contains eggs, dairy, seafood, nuts or wheat. Newhard said the cards are used because not all students will come forward and meet the dining commons staff because they do not want to be singled out.

"The trick for college students is to be aware of your allergy and to educate friends so that they can help you if you have an allergic reaction and are no longer able to speak," Muñoz-Furlong said.

Tozer said avoiding peanuts is usually not too difficult.

"You have to be careful, but even if you're careful, accidents happen," Tozer said.

For more information on food allergies, visit foodallergy.org.