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Food Allergies

An allergy is an abnormal response to a food, medication, environmental agent, or animal. An allergic reaction is triggered by the body’s immune system. Reactions vary from person to person. Some may be mild and some may be severe, leading to life threatening symptoms and even death. Anaphylaxis is defined as:

  • a severe, life threatening allergic reaction
  • a well-defined antigen-antibody reaction
  • a hypersensitive state of the body to a foreign protein or a drug, food, medication, insect bite, latex, etc.
  • sudden in its development and may be fatal.

Signs and symptoms of a severe allergic reaction to food or other agent may include some or all of the following:

Body System Sign or Symptom
Mouth Tingling, itching, swelling of the tongue, lips, or mouth; blue/grey color of the lips
Throat Tightening of the throat; tickling feeling in the back of throat, hoarseness or change in voice
Nose/Eyes/Ears Runny, itchy nose; redness and /or swelling of eyes; throbbing in ears
Lungs Shortness of breath, repetitive shallow cough; wheezing
Stomach

Nausea; vomiting; diarrhea; abdominal cramps

Skin Itchy rash; hives, swelling of face or extremities; facial flushing
Heart Thin weak pulse; rapid pulse; palpitations; fainting; blueness of lips, face or nail beds; paleness


If your child has a specific food allergy, please contact the school nurse at your child's campus.  Allergy notice forms can be found below.

On the Rise

Food allergies have risen in incidence. Current estimates state that between every 1 in 13 and 1 in 25 school aged children are affected. 40% of those children have reported a history of a severe reaction. The eight most common food allergies that account for 90% of food allergy reactions are milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, soy, and wheat (National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases [National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease] (NIAID), 2010). 

In response to the rise in food allergies and to increase community awareness, Senate Bill 27 amends Chapter 38 of the Texas Education Code by adding Section 38.0151. A policy must be adopted by school districts to care for students with food allergies.

Our Policy

Mansfield ISD’s comprehensive plan to manage students with food allergies includes identification and planning as well as treatment guidelines. Review our Anaphylaxis/Allergic Reaction Guidelines and Food Allergy Management Plan for more information on food allergies.

Epinephrine auto-injectors are prescribed for students with identified life threatening allergies.

Forms