Blackcat- Some people MAY blow it out of proportion, but most don't. If anything most of the people I know understate the severity of their children's food allergies when speaking to people who don't have children with food allergies, due to the social stigma associated with it. I would think that most people with children with "mild" allergies such as your strawberry allergy wouldn't even mention it (just like you don't), because there is definitely no positive reinforcement being offered for mentioning a food allergy.
Most reputable allergists won't diagnose an initial food allergy without a reaction from eating the food. Certain foods such as nuts, peanuts, and shellfish are more likely to cause anaphylaxis, although other food allergies can also be that severe. Some food allergies may just cause hives and eczema, but people still mention them because who wants their kids to get hives and eczema if it can be avoided?
More people don't die of food allergies because they carry epi-pens and auvi-Qs. When they have a reaction, they are able to inject themselves thus stabilizing themselves long enough to get an ambulance to the hospital.
According to FARE ( Food Allergy Research and Education)
-Every 3 minutes, a food allergy reaction sends someone to the emergency department – that is more than 200,000 emergency department visits per year.
-This potentially deadly disease affects 1 in every 13 children (under 18 years of age) in the U.S. That’s roughly two in every classroom.
