The TV star said her body could be ‘compromised horrifically’
Jo Frost has spoken out about a serious medical condition she faces, which causes her to navigate life with particular caution. While the TV Supernanny stressed that she won’t apologise for her diagnosis, she urged others to learn more about it.
“I’ve survived more anaphylactic shocks than I’m prepared to go into detail about right now,” the 54-year-old said in a heartfelt Instagram video. “I have anaphylaxis, a life-threatening medical condition to certain foods that will compromise my body so horrifically to the point of hospitalisation.
“Absolute millions of my community around the world, children and adults, live cautiously and anxiously navigating this journey with not nearly enough compassion, education and empathy from those who do not.
“Today, everyone will know someone or someone who knows of one with anaphylaxis. If you ignore the severity of this medical condition, it’s as bad as shoving a loaded gun in my face.”
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As Jo explains, anaphylaxis is a life-threatening allergic reaction that usually occurs very quickly. It typically begins within minutes of exposure to an allergen such as food, insect bites, or medicine.
Anaphylaxis can cause a variety of symptoms, commonly including swelling of the tongue or throat, breathing and swallowing difficulties, wheezing, and dizziness. Some people also report paleness, greyness, or bluish colouration of their skin, tongue, or lips in certain cases.
In a previous interview with the Mirror Dr Gareth Nye, a Biomedical Science lecturer at the University of Salford, explained: “What triggers this is individual to you and it’s down to your immune system and genetics to determine whether you are allergic to something or not, and if you are, how severe that reaction is. You can also develop allergies over time due to exposure to common causes like dust or animal hair.”
Jo said the risks associated with anaphylaxis affect her daily life, requiring a lot of energy to take precautions and be hypervigilant. Yet, she stressed that everything would be a lot easier if other people better understood the condition.
“I’m unapologetic for my medical condition,” she continued. “I did not ask for it, and it does not define who I am and the impact that I make in the world daily.
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“But it does impact how I live my life daily, like the precautions I take, the energy I have to use to discern with hypervigilance.[…] It means your ‘it may contain’ labels are a consistent truth that you dodge accountability legally and put your greed before my safety. It means that your ‘inclusion’ of health and safety standards doesn’t apply to me. Just non-anaphylaxis people out there.
“And by the way, I speak on behalf of those who also have celiac disease, too, because we are all not faddy eaters. I’m not looking to be treated special, I’m looking to be treated with the same dignity and attentiveness as you just showed others.”
In light of this, Jo further stressed that she doesn’t need ‘mumbling insults’ or ‘passive-aggressive’ comments from anyone who doesn’t fully appreciate the condition. Instead, she urged for more willingness to learn as, ultimately, it could save lives.
“Menus, workspaces, school training, events spaces for all, to champion children who are all ours really in this world,” she said. “Get curious and learn more, because really, as I mentioned before, we all know someone.”
Potential symptoms of anaphylaxis
According to the NHS, the most common symptoms of anaphylaxis include:
- Wheezing, coughing or noisy breathing
- Feeling faint, dizzy or fainting
- Blue, grey or pale skin, lips or tongue – if you have brown or black skin, this may be easier to see on the palms of your hands or soles of your feet
- Skin that feels cold to the touch
- Feeling tired or confused
- Swelling of your throat and tongue
- A rash that’s swollen, raised or itchy
- Difficulty breathing or breathing very fast
- Trouble swallowing, tightness in your throat or a hoarse voice
If this goes untreated, a full anaphylactic shock may kill you within just 15 minutes, so it’s crucial to act fast when you notice something’s wrong.
Dr Nye also explained: “Once the allergen is removed from the area, the clear priority is to maintain a good airway and so avoiding over crowding is key. Asking the patient to keep breathing as normally as possible and keep calm can also help.
“Most people with severe allergies carry an ‘EpiPen’ which contains epinephrine and if the patient is unable to find and use this, people around can do this. Obviously calling an ambulance as early as possible is key.”
Although administering an EpiPen to yourself or someone else can seem quite daunting, instructions are typically included on the side of the injector. According to the product’s online guidance, this usually involves grasping the EpiPen in your dominant hand and removing the blue safety cap by ‘pulling straight up’.
At the other end of the EpiPen is an orange tip that should be pointed at the outer thigh at a distance of around 10cm. The tip should then be jabbed into the area at a right angle, held for three seconds before removing it.
Despite the use of an EpiPen, an ambulance should always be called – even if symptoms seem to be improving. A second anaphylactic reaction – or biphasic reaction – can occur within 12 hours of the first, so it’s important to be monitored by medical professionals.