I think that they are, but I also think that they are over reported. Too many people call a sensitivity an allergy. My Dd gets an upset stomach with too much dairy and had to be on special formula as an infant....that's a sensitivity. Ibuprofen causes you to have an upset stomach? Sensitivity. If I place an adhesive bandaid on myself, I get a rash in that area....sensitivity. I see so many people insisting they have allergies to everyday things (potassium, iron, etc) when, in fact, it is a side-effect or just a sensitivity.

My brother is highly asthmatic and allergic to peanuts, pet dander, and a million other things (stuff that showed up on his allergy tests, but really don't affect him much - eggs used to make him vomit, but he outgrew it). We grew up in a household with peanuts, peanut butter, pets; we read labels before it was cool; school had zero food restrictions and no epi pens at that time. He isn't the most responsible person, but after a horrible reaction to peanuts, he learned enough to know not to eat certain things, wash his hands, etc. A huge portion of allergy safety is personal education and prevention.