Film producer Phoebe Campbell-Harris, 28, has shared her terrifying experience of nearly dying from an allergic reaction after a kiss. At the age of 18, she was kissed by a man she met in a Paris nightclub and subsequently suffered an anaphylactic reaction, which included a rash on her face and neck.
Despite not having consumed anything to trigger her severe nut allergy, she realised that the Frenchman she had kissed may have done so. She quickly used her EpiPen and was rushed to hospital.
Now, she is promoting a film based loosely on her own experiences, featuring a girl who goes into anaphylactic shock after kissing someone at a party. Recalling her own ordeal, Phoebe said: “My throat felt like sandpaper. That is the first sign, then it becomes harder to swallow. All the senses become heightened. It’s pure panic…fight or flight.”
Anaphylaxis is a life-threatening allergic reaction that can prove fatal if not treated promptly. According to the NHS, symptoms “usually start within minutes of coming into contact with something you’re allergic to, such as a food, medicine or insect sting,” reports Surrey Live.
Health officials are issuing a warning about symptoms that suggest you might be experiencing anaphylaxis, which includes signs such as swelling of the throat or tongue, difficulty in breathing and swallowing, a wheezing sound, feeling fatigued or faint, and skin turning blue, grey, or pale, according to the NHS.
The alert has been raised by Phoebe, who is at the forefront of highlighting the perils of potentially lethal allergic reactions, with new data this year indicating a climbing rate of incidents, reported the Daily Express.
There were 4,490 hospital admissions for “adverse food reactions” across the UK in 2023, marking a sharp 27 percent rise from the previous year. This information comes following research sponsored by the Natasha Allergy Research Foundation, established in remembrance of Natasha Ednan-Laperouse who tragically passed away in 2016 due to an allergic reaction.
Reacting to the concerning statistics, Natasha’s parents, Tanya and Nadim Ednan-Laperouse, released a statement: “We are calling for the Government to appoint an Allergy Tsar to act as a champion for people with food allergies and allergic diseases including asthma and eczema.”
They also pressed for immediate action by stating: “Now is the time for the Government to take urgent action to prevent more people with food allergies experiencing ill health or even death.”