A New York man filed a wrongful death lawsuit last month against a Disney World restaurant, resulting from his wife's death last fall, and bringing to light the worst nightmare of a person living with food allergies — and the worry their family members carry.

Dr. Kanokporn Tangsuan, a New York physician, was dining at the Florida restaurant with her husband Jeffrey Piccolo and mother-in-law. Tangsuan, allegedly, asked her waiter multiple times to confirm that her meal could be made allergen-free because she had severe dairy and nut allergies. The waiter even, supposedly, confirmed with the chef that they would prepare the doctor's meal allergen-free.

Unfortunately, less than an hour after eating, Tangsuan had an allergic reaction, experienced trouble breathing, and later died at a hospital.

Now, Piccolo's lawsuit has shed light on the silent terror allergies can pose and the importance of allergy awareness and education.

Understanding how allergies occur

Allergies are the body’s reaction to certain substances, known as allergens, that are usually harmless. Anyone can develop some sort of hypersensitivity that could either be damaging temporarily or lethal.

Specifically, as it relates to food allergies, about 8 percent of children and 11 percent of adults in the U.S. suffer from it, according to the JAMA Open Network journal.

Here’s the thing: The immune system’s primary responsibility is to protect your body from harmful substances, germs, and other cell changes that could make you sick. It’s your body’s way of detecting, remembering, fighting, and removing foreign materials that are harmful to the body, including allergens.

Now, when you are exposed to an allergen, your immune system perceives these substances as threats. As programmed, it sends out a defensive response by creating a type of protein called an immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibody. This antibody binds to the allergen, triggering the release of messenger chemicals, such as histamine.

Histamine and other chemicals are responsible for various allergic symptoms that appear as mild or severe discomfort. The severity and type of symptoms depend on the type of allergen, your immune system response, and the level of exposure to the allergen. Simply put, allergic reactions are your body's way of letting you know a substance isn’t good for your health.

How to know if you're allergic to certain foods and substances

You know you are allergic to a certain substance when your body shows any of these symptoms after contact or exposure:

• Gastrointestinal symptoms such as vomiting, nausea, or diarrhea; and in severe cases, anaphylaxis, characterized by a rapid drop in blood pressure, difficulty breathing, swell