环球英语 — 184：Deadly Allergies

　　Voice 1

Thank you for joining us for Spotlight 1. I’m Ruby 2 Jones.

Voice 2

And I’m Joshua Leo. Spotlight uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand no matter where in the world they live.

Voice 1

Lucy Parry was getting ready to leave her home. It was a spring day in 2007. Suddenly, she felt a sharp pain. A wasp 3, a flying insect, had stung 4 her. For most people this may not have been a big problem. But for Lucy this was a serious problem. Her blood pressure started to drop quickly. She struggled to walk to the drug store. But when she arrived, she did not receive the help she needed. She tells of her experience:

Voice 3

“I arrived at the nearby drug store, but when I asked for something they told me to drive myself to the emergency room at the hospital. I could not believe what they were telling me. My heart had started racing 5 and my head was tingling 6. She even said I was feeling sick because I was frightened and told me to calm down. It was then that I fell to the ground.”

Voice 2

But fear was not the cause of Lucy’s problem. It was an “allergy 7”. Lucy is “allergic 8” to the poison from insect stings 9. This means that her body reacts to the chemicals released 10 by particular insects. Lucy could have died if she had not received help from a doctor. Lucy is not the only person to have strong reactions like this. People all over the world suffer from severe allergies 11.

Today’s Spotlight is on deadly allergic reactions.

Voice 1

Many people in the world have allergies. You may even have an allergy. An allergy is a reaction to a particular substance. Many people are allergic to things such as the yellow pollen 12 dust from flowers and plants, animal hair, or dust. When a person is near the substance, he may get a wet nose. His eyes may become red. His skin may itch 13. These are common reactions. Usually allergies like this are not fun to experience. But they are not usually very dangerous.

Voice 2

For some people allergies can be deadly. Their body’s reaction is much more serious. They experience anaphylaxis. Anaphylaxis is a medical term. It is a severe kind of allergic reaction. Many things are signs of anaphylaxis. A person may have trouble breathing. His brain becomes affected 14. He may experience pain in his stomach. His blood pressure may drop quickly. He may even become unconscious, he appears to be sleeping but he is not. The person’s body thinks that the chemicals from the substance are a dangerous chemical. His body acts against the chemical. The results can be deadly.

Voice 1

But what are some of the things that cause anaphylaxis? Some of the most common causes for allergic anaphylaxis are foods. Some people are allergic to nuts, the small hard seeds from trees and plants. Other people are allergic to shellfish, animals with hard shells that live in the water. People may also be allergic to foods such as milk, eggs, particular fish, and even to a substance in bread.

Voice 2

Each year in America alone, about one hundred and fifty [150] people die from allergic reactions to foods. Brenton Shivley was one of those people. Brenton was sixteen [16] years old. His mother says that her son was always very careful about what he ate. He had a peanut allergy. A peanut is really a kind of fruit from a plant. It looks like a seed. On September one 2006, Brenton was at a friend’s house. There he ate a cookie, a small sweet piece of food. His mother tells what happened:

Voice 4

“He took a bite of the cookie and he said to his friend ‘I should not have eaten that.’ Brenton should have asked about what was in it but he did not.”

Voice 1

The cookie Brenton ate contained peanuts. In minutes, Brenton started to experience anaphylaxis. And in an hour he was dead.

Voice 2

So what can people with allergies do to prevent such serious reactions? In most cases there is no cure for an allergy. The best method of protection is avoidance. If a person knows what he is allergic to, he must try very hard to avoid it. Parents of children with allergies must also be very careful. They must read what substances are in foods their children eat. It is also important that other people know about the allergy. If a person’s friends and family know about an allergy, they can help the person to avoid it.

Voice 1

But if a person does have an allergic reaction, there are ways to make it less dangerous. Doctors say that anyone with a severe allergy should keep an EpiPen with them all the time. An EpiPen is a small device 15 that injects the chemical epinephrine into the body. Epinephrine slows the body’s allergic reaction. If a person starts to have an allergic reaction, she can inject herself with epinephrine. This gives her time to seek medical help.

Voice 2

The first step to prevent severe allergic reactions is to know if you have an allergy. It is possible to have a severe allergy but not even know it. If you, or someone you know shows any unusual reactions to a food or insect bite, seek help. You can go to a doctor. The doctor will ask many questions about the allergic reaction. She may even do a test on your skin. These tests will help you discover the details of your allergy.

Voice 1

Over the past fifteen [15] years, doctors have seen an increase in allergy patients. They are not sure why more people are having allergic reactions. But they encourage people everywhere to become more educated about allergies. Lucy Parry agrees with the doctors. Allergy education would have helped when she walked into the drug store. She said later:

Voice 3

“I could have died. What surprised me was the lack of knowledge about what was happening.”

Voice 2

Allergies are very common. Someone you know may have a severe allergy. If you know someone with an allergy, you can offer to help them. Offer to become more educated. Ask them what you can do if they experience a reaction. You may be able to help save their life.