Controversial blogger Edgar Obare survived an allergic reaction to sea food at a popular city restaurant on Saturday, September 5.
After receiving emergency treatment, Obare went ahead and shared his scary ordeal.
"Doctor said I was having an anaphylactic shock and I came very close. Thank you to that Naivas chemist and Nairobi Hospital for saving me," he stated.
A screenshot of his receipt showed that he had ordered Apple juice, Chai Latte, Presto Chicken, Prawns Tagliatelle and a bottle of water.
His dramatic episode happened moments after he wrapped up his meal, with the first danger sign coming in the form of an itchy throat and teary eyes.
He then developed breathing complications, "I have hives all over my neck and it’s itchy. I stand up to go downstairs to the counter to get some water. I go to the bathroom and see my face in the mirror is all swollen and my eyes are bloodshot," he narrated.
It was at this point that he realised how bad the situation. He immediately signalled his friend and asked to be rushed to the nearest hospital.
Their first stop was at a clinic at Capital Centre along Mombasa Road, however, they got there at 4:30 p.m. and found that the health centre was closed for the day.
After using Google to try and find the nearest hospital, the two then rushed into the supermarket located within the same building and purchase two antihistamine tablets at the chemist counter.
Obare hurriedly placed the tablets under his tongue as per the chemist's advise.
The two then made their way to Nairobi hospital where Obare received injections of chlorpheniramine, hydrocortisone and cotipred,
After an estimated two hours on the hospital bed, the emergency treatment proved effective as the inflammation was finally under control.
Obare was quick to thank the doctors who saved his life, and revealed that they told him that his allergic reaction could have ended badly were it not for the emergency medication he received at the supermarket.
Food poisoning is caused by bacteria and viruses present in food with certain foods having a higher exposure risk than others.
In Kenya, for a lawsuit founded on a food poisoning claim, all parties involved in the chain of distribution can be held liable.
There have been hundreds of reported cases of food contamination leading to hospitalisation and at times death, a trend that casts doubts on the safety of food in homes and restaurants.
The Kenya Association of Manufacturers’ (KAM) revelation in 2019 that City Hall has not been evaluating food handlers for almost a year and that no public food handler has been issued with a certificate of good health for the same period led to public uproar.
The Allergies Society of Kenya describes a food allergy reaction, as was the case in Obare's recent episode, as the instance when one's immune system overreacts to a food or a substance in a food, identifying it as a danger and triggering a protective response.
According to a 2012 study carried out by the World Allergy Organization at the Aga Khan University Hospital, Nairobi, the commonest food allergens in order of frequency were cow milk (65%), egg (35%), beef (26%), beans (14%), chicken, corn, wheat, soya and rice (9%), fish (8%) and peanut (5%).
The research sought to determine the patterns of food allergens in children.
Sometimes food poisoning can mimic an allergic reaction. Bacteria in spoiled tuna and other fish also can make a toxin that triggers harmful reactions.
Obare made national headlines recently, following his arrest over a controversial post.
