Well - Fall 2012 - (Page 8)

A World Food Allergies Groundbreaking treatment from the new pediatric chair at N.C. Children’s Hospital changes one boy’s life. I Now that Justin Price doesn’t have to worry about his egg allergy, he can enjoy all that childhood has to offer—from baseball to doughnuts. BY STEPHANIE SOUCHERAY N THE LAST 30 YEARS, there has been a sea change when it comes to awareness of food allergies. Home-baked goods are no longer allowed in some classrooms, peanuts have been replaced with pretzels on planes, and supermarkets have entire sections dedicated to allergen-free foods. It is estimated that 30 million Americans have food allergies or food intolerance. However, while awareness has grown, conventional treatment has been restricted to one burdensome and challenging option: avoidance. That is changing thanks to pioneering immunological research by N.C. Children’s Hospital’s new chief physician. “I always wanted to pursue an academic medical career that looked at diseases that are really common, but that we don’t have a treatment option for,” says A. Wesley Burks, MD, who joined UNC as chair of the Department of Pediatrics and physician-in-chief of N.C. Children’s Hospital in 2011. “With food allergies, there’s a broad range of the disease, from acute, mild symptoms to a life-threatening allergic reaction, and that’s what really interested me.” Dr. Burks says that as more people are diagnosed with allergies to milk, egg and peanut—the three most common food allergies—researchers are investigating therapies to help those a ected live fuller lives. “The things that drive me are the relationship between patient and family and wanting to help them understand the disease,” says Dr. Burks. > 8 Fall 2012 Well

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Well - Fall 2012

Well - Fall 2012
Contents
UNC Health Care News
Community
In the Right Place
A World Without Food Allergies
Healing and Hope Through Science
Nutrition
Calendar

Well - Fall 2012