DEAR DR. DONOHUE: My friend from grade school just died of an allergy. Is that possible? I know allergies make you feel miserable, but I never knew they killed. We had been best friends forever. She was my age, 32. That’s another thing I don’t understand. How could a healthy young woman die all of a sudden? Please explain this to me. — R.C.

ANSWER: Your friend died from anaphylactic shock, an extreme allergic reaction. It can happen to people of any age.

Insect stings, foods (peanuts, seafood and others), medicines (especially injected medicines) and even exercise are some of the things that are implicated in these serious but rare reactions.

Signs that a catastrophe is about to occur are the sudden appearance of hives, wheezing and gasping for air, doubling over with stomach pain and a dramatic drop in blood pressure. The “shock” of “anaphylactic shock” indicates that systolic blood pressure (the first blood pressure number) is less than 90. The reaction causes airways to constrict, the heart to pump ineffectively and blood vessels to dilate, which, in turn, leads to the drop in blood pressure.

If you ever witness such a calamity, immediately call 911. Then ease the person into a lying position with feet elevated to help return blood to the circulation and raise blood pressure.

The ultimate treatment is an injection of epinephrine (adrenaline). It quickly boosts blood pressure, opens up the narrowed airways and gets the heart pumping strongly. Oxygen is another important treatment. Most people can be treated successfully if they’re taken to a hospital quickly. About 2 percent of those stricken with anaphylaxis die. The yearly total of such deaths in the United States lies somewhere between 500 and 1,000.

I don’t know if your friend had an allergy that she knew about or if she had had a past reaction that wasn’t so severe and wasn’t recognized as an allergy.

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: Obesity in children is a national concern. But what about other eating problems? I am a grandmother who is concerned about her 6-year-old granddaughter’s eating habits. For breakfast, she might have a doughnut or some dry, sugary cereal. For lunch, she carries grapes, carrots, peanut butter and crackers, and cookies. For dinner, she eats macaroni and cheese, chicken tenders, pizza or Spaghetti-Os. She eats apples or corn occasionally. She drinks water, sweet tea or soft drinks. Candy and chips are mainstays. She refuses to try new foods. Once when I bribed her to try something different, she gagged as it went down. She appears healthy and is happy. What are your thoughts? — C.G.

ANSWER: It doesn’t take a Ph.D. in nutrition to declare your granddaughter’s diet as less than ideal. I was faced with exactly the same situation. I was not successful in winning the battle of a better diet, and I tried everything. Finally, I had to adopt a policy of benign neglect and wait for whatever brain circuits were miswired to right themselves.

Her parents have to make sure she is growing normally and that she truly is healthy. Only her doctor can determine that. If she is, I’d let nature take its course, no matter how unnerving it is to you.

I welcome thoughts from readers and promise to pass them on. I’m at a loss for a successful solution for this situation.

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: Are colonic cleansings necessary? I get so much unsolicited mail on this topic that I wonder if I should consider having it done. — L.H.

ANSWER: This question comes up with distressing frequency.

The colon is not dirty. It cleans itself.

Waste matter in the colon isn’t poisoning us. It’s a natural byproduct of digestion. You don’t need colonics to get rid of it. The colon was designed to take care of itself, and it does a good job.

Dr. Donohue regrets that he is unable to answer individual letters, but he will incorporate them in his column whenever possible. Readers may write him or request an order form of available health newsletters at P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. Readers may also order health newsletters from www.rbmamall.com.

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