How To Live With Food Allergies

If you've been living with allergies or your son or daughter has recently been afflicted with allergies, here are some tips that may help you.

Be tested, know your enemy!

There are blood tests and scratch tests to determine allergies. Usually, allergists recommend you wait until age 2 for these tests.

The best thing you can do is AVOID the allergen.

If your allergy is to, let's say, sesame seeds, learn how to say it and spell it in many languages. Especially handy if on vacation! Learn the many types of foods that contain the allergen and avoid them completely.

Read the packaging, sometimes a batch of food product has been handled and packaged in the same factory with something else..like nuts. This can cause a contamination and is potentially dangerous.

The warning usually reads something like this, manufactured in a facility that packages nuts, wheat, soy etc...

Don't ever just bite into a chocolate from a mixed box. You never know what's in the mixed box of candies until you read the packaging closely. Although a Whitman's Sampler comes with a map, most chocolates do not.

Make sure all your friends and family are aware of all your food allergies. This could be life saving advice. You wouldn't want your mother-in-law to put up a pot of Rainforest coffee if you are allergic to tree nuts. The smell alone could put you in the hospital if you are very sensitive.

If your child is school age, make sure all the teachers and school nurse are aware of the allergy. I would even go so far as to say, write it on the back of his/her shirt for the first couple of days so there's no mistake.

A friend recently sent her son to school with a sticker on his shirt that read, "Hello, My Name is NO NUTS!" I'll never forget it, would you?

Always carry Benedryl and an Epipen for emergencies. Read the directions carefully and know what to do BEFORE you ever need to use it. For children, I recommend getting your pediatricians advice on dosage for Benedryl and writing it on the bottle so that you NEVER FORGET. An overdose can be fatal and an under dose will not do the job. Often Benedryl will need to be taken every 4-6 hours for 24 hours or the attack could come back.

Give an EpiPen to the teacher and school nurse if necessary. 75% of all allergy related deaths occur in school. Isn't that frightening?

If your allergic attack is serious, go to the emergency room or better yet, call an ambulance. Explain that you need an epinephrine injection immediately.

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