Food Allergy Awareness Week is an annual event that is an initiative of Allergy & Anaphylaxis Australia. The week aims to raise awareness about food allergies in Australia, in addition to helping to reduce the risk of a reaction for those living with food allergy, and also to help manage potentially life-threatening emergencies when they happen.

A food allergy is an immune system response to a food protein that the body mistakenly believes is harmful and now affects 1 in 10 infants and about 2 in 100 adults in Australia*

Doctors and Staff members from our Eastbrooke Clovelly Medical Practice, Eastbrooke Blacktown GP Super Clinic together with our team from the Eastbrooke Family Clinic Burleigh Waters showed their support for this week by participating in the campaign “Be Aware. Show you Care. Paint a Nail today” by each painting one fingernail that represents the 1 in 10 children who are affected by food allergy.

There are more than 170 foods known to have triggered severe allergic reactions. The most common triggers, causing 90 percent of allergic reactions in Australians are egg, cow’s milk, peanut, tree nuts (such as cashew and almond), sesame, soy, wheat, fish and shellfish. Some lesser known triggers also include kiwi fruit, banana, chicken, mustard and celery.

Eastbrooke Medical Centres looks forward to participating again next year in 2017 with the aim to continue in achieving greater awareness to this annual event. For more information visit www.foodallergyaware.com.au

Image top right (Dr Ken Cameron, Dr Stephen Barry, Staff members Glenda Henderson and Kathy McMahon, Practice Manager Ann Gray and Dr Sue Blum from Eastbrooke Family Clinic Burleigh Waters)

Image bottom right (Practice Manager Sarah Barnes, Dr Maureen Boyd and Dr Tammy Goldberg from Eastbrooke Clovelly Medical Practice )

(*source www.foodallergyaware.com.au)