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Allergies

Living With A Food Allergy

Allergies: Food Allergy

Living with a food allergy can be a daunting experience. Many people have a food allergy which ranges from mild to severe. There are people who experience a light red rash after eating something they are allergic to while others can face death if they even touch the food that causes their allergy.

A very common type of food allergy is to eggs. Many children develop this food allergy when they are infants. The parents have to be conscious of each and everything the child consumes. This means reading all the labels of the foods that you serve the child and informing the child care provider and school of the allergy. Egg substitute can be used when baking cakes or breads so the child doesn't feel left out.

A food allergy to eggs is usually outgrown. The child may experience the symptoms for several years and once they have matured the parent in consultation with a physician can reintroduce egg products into the child's diet.

Another food allergy that is common in infants is an allergy to wheat. This again, is an allergy that children tend to outgrow but until that time every product they consume has to be checked to see if it contains wheat. The obvious offenders are things like bread and muffin but there can be wheat in other products including breakfast cereals and even some types of candy.

A food allergy that can be very severe is an allergy to peanuts. When a child or an adult has a peanut allergy there is a chance that they can go into food anaphylaxis and die. Although peanut allergies are one of the most common types of food allergy there are still people dying each year from unintended exposure to peanuts.

It's vitally important for parents to warn their child about the dangers of peanuts if they do have this particular type of food allergy. The child might not be old enough to fully grasp the consequences but as they mature it's very important to constantly remind them that they can become very ill if they eat anything that has peanuts in it.

Many schools now have a no peanut policy. They have enforced this because of the children that suffer from a peanut food allergy. Children are not permitted to bring certain food items to school including peanut butter sandwiches or chocolate bars that contain peanuts. Although some parents complain about this restriction it should be viewed as more of a life saving measure.

When a person grows up with a food allergy they quickly become aware of what foods they can and cannot eat. Part of this stems from the repeated reminders of the parents but it also comes from the child and later adult's desire to remain healthy.

If someone in your home does suffer from a food allergy it's wise to keep that food out of the home completely. One of the reasons is obvious and that's the person with the allergy will be safer without the offending item in their presence. Another good reason to refrain from purchasing the product is that the person with the allergy won't feel left out if no one in their family is consuming the thing they cannot have. Think of it as a wonderful way to support them.

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