The dreaded epipen. Short for epinephrine auto injector, this medical device is used to save lives from anaphylactic shock resulting from allergic reactions.

Severe food allergies are one of the most common reasons for this life or death situation and remain a widespread issue affecting millions of Americans on a daily basis.

For a student like junior Landon Campbell, not paying attention to what he eats could result in desperate situations like this. Ever since he was three, Campbell has known of his severe allergy to peanuts.

“I remember when I was three I begged my dad to give me some of his Hershey’s chocolate bar with nuts,” Campbell said. “After he gave me some I began to cry even more, so my parents rushed me to the hospital.”

Those affected by severe food allergies often do not know about their allergies until they have an extreme reaction. A frightening initial reaction will be often shocking enough to prompt diligence when eating. Campbell’s first experience with his allergy remains vivid.

“I get this really terrible taste in my mouth,” Campbell said. “It made me want to cut my tongue off and I tried to use other foods to wash it out.”

Allergies occur when the body overreacts to a foreign substance that would otherwise be harmless.

“Nobody knows for sure why allergies happen,” Kaiser allergist Dr. Jimmy Ko said. “The body sees the allergen as an invader and sends histamines, a chemical involved in immune responses, to signal cells to come deal with it.”

The portion of the population that is affected by severe food allergies is very low, but those affected must be persistently attentive to prevent reactions like these from occurring.

Ko said approximately four to six percent of the general population has a food allergy. The percentage of those whose food allergy is severe is even lower than that. The severity of food allergy reactions can vary reaction to reaction.

“In my experience, a lot of my patients’ first reactions were not severe,” Ko said. “The likelihood of having a second, worse reaction to peanuts, for example, is approximately 45%.”

Many students believe those who are severely allergic to foods are incredibly unlucky because they are unable to eat specific foods. On the contrary, senior Tiger Leet dispels this assumption by explaining his experience.

“I’ve always been allergic to wheat, dairy and nuts but I never get jealous,” Leet said. “There are many substitutes for the common foods, and also since I haven’t had the foods I’m allergic to for awhile, I’ve forgotten whether I liked them or not.”

Overall, Leet and Campbell agree on the impact their severe food allergies have made on their lifestyles. Their allergies will remain part of their identities throughout their life, but they will not let the allergies hold them back.

“I’m well adjusted to it,” Campbell said. “Since I’ve never had peanuts enough to appreciate it, I’m totally okay with not being able to eat it.”

Although allergies can result in a life or death situation, they can be controlled through personal alertness.

“Sometimes it really bothers me,” Leet said. “Thankfully I’m able to control it and have been able to live a normal life.”