When you say you are allergic to foods

I recently was listening to a presentation, and the person was talking about being allergic to all these different foods. She never said the type of reaction that she had and later in her presentation she then said, these symptoms were undiagnosed. Well, if you are saying you are allergic to foods make sure that you can identify the symptoms from these reactions and you have been diagnosed with food allergies. 

• Food allergy - symptoms can include a wide range of reactions, such as skin issues (hives, itching, swelling), gastrointestinal problems (cramps, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea), and respiratory issues (wheezing, shortness of breath, a tight throat, or nasal congestion). Other symptoms can include an itchy mouth, dizziness, or a drop in blood pressure. Other symptoms can include an itchy mouth, dizziness, or a drop in blood pressure. These symptoms typically appear within two hours of eating the food

• Food intolerance - symptoms are typically gastrointestinal and include bloating, gas, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. Other common symptoms can also include headaches, fatigue, irritability, and rashes. Symptoms may appear within minutes to up to 48 hours after eating, making them hard to pinpoint, and are often dose-dependent

So, quite a few people will say that they are allergic to specific foods when it is an actual food intolerance and that can get very confusing when people are trying to deal with actual food allergies which could impact their life. It can be very difficult to explain to someone the difference between a food allergy and a food intolerance but when you see someone that as a food allergy attack you will understand the difference.

You cannot self-diagnose food allergies yourself especially if you are having issues with your throat closing. If your throat is closing, that is when you need to have allergy tests to figure out what is wrong and what foods you are specifically allergic to.

The presentation that I was watching was talking about stress and burnout and yes, they can impact allergy symptoms. Stress can cause or worsen allergy symptoms by increasing inflammation and triggering the release of chemicals like histamine. This can manifest as skin issues such as hives, which are itchy, raised welts that may appear on the face, chest, or arms and can also worsen existing conditions like eczema and psoriasis. Stress can also intensify respiratory symptoms like nasal congestion, sneezing, and difficulty breathing. 

So, when you say you have food allergies, please understand what that really means and if you haven’t been diagnosed with allergies get diagnosed. If you are just saying you have allergies it can affect others because people will look at you and how you react to specific foods and they could think everyone will react the same and everyone is different.

Stress can impact how you react to specific foods and it can make your symptoms worse, but first make sure you get diagnosed with food allergies, so you first know what you should be avoiding and how to manage those reactions.

Food allergies and hearing the words "Oh good"

For people with food allergies, hearing the words “Oh good” can be a hard thing to hear, especially when you are out in a restaurant. Sure, that comment might mean something entirely different from how it comes out, but it doesn’t help the person with the food allergies.  Here are some other ways that statement could be worded:

Oh good, I appreciate you letting me know – the staff stating they are happy you let them know about your allergies so they can make the necessary adjustments and let other staff know.

Thank you for notifying me – this one is an ok statement because at least you know that the server understands that you have food allergies.

Oh, I’ll be sure to let the kitchen staff know – this is the statement that I appreciate the most because the server has heard what you have said, and they are going to notify the staff that are involved in making your food.

Oh, I’ll be sure to let management know – this statement is OK, but is there a policy to let management know, and they let the kitchen staff know. This statement can be a little difficult to handle, especially when the restaurant is busy. Your food might be being prepared before the manager is notified, and they can let the kitchen know.

The words “oh good” when said alone can sound like I’m glad it’s you that has the allergies and not me. Having food allergies is a challenge enough when you are in a restaurant, especially when you have one of the common allergies, and it is in the restaurant. In a lot of restaurants that have the electronic ordering system, they have a button that they can press and enter the allergies that you have and that is sent along with your order to the kitchen.

So, if you work at a restaurant, please remember that saying the words “Oh good” can have a very negative impact on the person you are saying it to. If you can figure out a nicer way to acknowledge that you have heard what the person is saying and how to communicate it to the rest of the staff, please try and do that. It is a challenge for both the person with the allergy and the serve to figure out just how to manage saying it and acknowledging it.

Eating out with food allergies - one issue I have

Something that really bothers me when eating out is when I am charged 100% of the upgrade your side option when it isn’t my choice.

I understand that there is a cost for upgrading a side option but when I have already told you that I have a severe food allergy to an ingredient that can be in that item why can’t the cost of the upgrade be reduced by a bit. What I am talking about is when I go into a restaurant and they serve calamari which is considered shellfish, and I am severely allergic to shellfish (both types).

Shellfish allergy - There are two groups of shellfish: crustaceans (such as shrimp, prawns, crab and lobster) and mollusks/bivalves (such as clams, mussels, oysters, scallops, octopus, squid, abalone, snail). Allergy to crustaceans is more common than allergy to mollusks, with shrimp being the most common shellfish allergen for both children and adults.

One side that is available most often is French fries and they are quite often cooked in the same fryer as both the calamari and shrimp. This can cause a cross-contamination issue so it is something that I must be extremely careful of. It has been interesting talking to some servers, and I ask if the calamari is fried in the same oil as the French fries or chicken fingers. Some servers are aware and can answer that yesterday and others will go back to the kitchen to confirm. 

So, my challenge when the French fries are cooked in the same oil as the calamari is always the cross-contamination risk, so therefore I cannot have French fries and must select an upgrade as my side. The restaurants that I like are the ones that have a couple of options for a standard side (soup, French fries, salad) and then you pay an addition cost for other sides. If someone says they are allergic to something and it can be in the basic side option, it would be nice to have the cost of the upgraded side reduced a bit to let the customer know that restaurant understands the challenge.

Listen to what someone is saying

Recently we were trying to plan a get together with a friend and it was a challenge because they didn’t hear that given food allergy’s locations were very limited. We nicely explain why their first location wouldn’t work and gave an option. They then same back with an option of a location that yes, was close to where we lived, but wasn’t some where that we went. This specific location was a location where I had a severe allergic reaction so no, I don’t want to go there.

Their explanation for the location was it was close to where we live so that is why he thought it was where we could eat. In a lot of instances, we don’t eat near to home because it is easier and safer to eat at home then eat at a restaurant that is local. The other thing that we have found is that eating at a chain restaurant to so many times safer than eating at an independent restaurant because the chain has strict rules that they need to follow.

The first location that the person thought about going was a location that they never had been before but thought it was a good place. Maybe part of it is because of the prices on the menu that was posted online. How current is the menu that is posted on the website especially when there is no date on the menu or even a copyright date on the website.  We did some research on the location and explained why it wasn’t such a good location given there was an open kitchen that could be very risky given someone with a shellfish allergy. The response we got was “Thank you for the in-depth research. I can appreciate the work to do this level of research! How about something closer that you may have been to” 

The interesting part of this is we had already told them a location that has been safe to go to for the past few years which wasn’t that far away. They immediately suggested a location without really thinking about the location we had recommended. It can be extremely frustrating when trying to explain to someone that we had told you a location we thought was safe so why are you continuing to think of other locations. The location that they recommended was a location that I had a severe allergic reaction at quite a few years ago. Yes, the location name has changed but is it still the same owner or safe and do they still deal with things the same way, that I am not certain, and I don’t want to find out by having an allergic reaction again.

When someone has a severe food allergy you need to listen to what they are saying and not immediately continue to recommend locations that you want to go to. Maybe what you are showing is that you don’t understand about allergies, or you don’t seem to care. I know a lot of people care about someone with food allergies but this individual even after multiple times explaining to them the issue just didn’t seem to get it.

If you know someone that has severe food allergies it is very important that you listen to what they are saying. Them saying locations that they feel safe eating at is something that you have to understand. Maybe it isn’t a place that you would at first want to go to but remember if you want to see that person you have to make some compromises. Listening to what they are saying needs to be considered if you want them to be safe when you get together.

Allergies and how I deal with them

Allergies to me are something that I have been dealing with for a long time. When it comes to my allergies I find that I have learned to deal with them differently depending where I am and also who I am with. When I am talking about allergies I am referring to my severe allergies and not just the seasonal allergies that are easy to deal with in a lot of cases. The severe food allergies can be a challenge at the best of time and you just have to learn now to deal with them.

At home

Dealing with the allergies are home is probably one of the safest spots for me but again it isn’t an easy spot when it comes to grocery shopping and buying the ready made meals. Grocery shopping is a longer process for us than a lot of other people because besides looking at some of the health content (salt, sugar, etc) we are having to read the labels on everything that we buy each time we go grocery shopping. It does mean that a quick trip into the grocery store really doesn’t happen unless it is to pick up things like meat, vegetables and eggs. The ready made meals are the things that are a challenge because some of those don’t come with ingredients on them and some do so that is another thing that we deal with is the constant checking of those meals.

At other people’s homes

In a lot of cases we don’t go to visit friends that don’t understand my allergies because it can be a risk for me. We have friends that each time they invite us over will ask for a confirmation of the allergens so that they can ensure they are getting things right. If we are somewhere and I am not certain about a food I will just pass on it to be safe. We have found that a lot of our friends will even confirm once we arrive to make sure that things are going to be safe. There has been a couples of times where I have had to miss eating something because they have purchased an ingredient in error and that doesn’t bother me so I just don’t have that item. I would rather someone let me know there has been a mix-up and then we continue on.

Restaurants

Restaurants have always been a challenge and that is one of the reasons why we don’t eat out very often. We have found a few places that we visit for special occasions but normally we find it is just as easy (and cheaper) to make the similar meal at home where we can verify all the ingredients. There are times when we have to eat in a restaurant and that is when I will ask the questions that I need to ask to ensure my food is safe or I will have something simple like a salad.

Conferences

Conferences are like restaurants in some ways but can also be a bigger challenge. Most conferences have a preset meal and you aren’t sure what you are getting. Some conferences provide a boxed lunch so that will be a sandwich of some sort, a salad and then some type of dessert. These can all be a risk and it means that I just have to be extremely careful and watch what I eat and as I always say go with my gut feeling. If my feeling is something isn’t going to be safe I just avoid it and always ensure that I have munchies with me to make up for the meal or food that I haven’t eaten.

Overall

In a lot of cases it is just a matter of communicating my allergies and then hoping the person receiving the message and the person preparing the meal understand. Allergies can be a challenge for the person that lives with them and all of their family and friends. Understanding the impact of a severe allergy can make a big difference and your safety is the most important thing to consider.

Mystery allergic reactions

There are times when I have an allergic reaction and it isn’t because of something I have eaten so those are the ones that can be extremely scary.

In some cases I know that a reaction that I have had is because I have been near something that I am allergic to and it has caused a reaction even through I haven’t eaten the food. As some proteins can be airborne I can sometimes have a reaction because I have been able to breathe in the proteins of what I am allergic to and that causes the reaction.

The mystery allergic reactions are those reactions that occur when I haven’t been around any allergens that I am aware of. There have been times when I have been even at home and sitting and relaxing without any food near me only to have a reaction. If I could smell something or have touched something that I am allergic to that could explain the reaction.

For anyone that deals with severe food allergies the mystery reactions can cause a lot of fear because of course it is first trying to figure out what you are reacting to. Of course, part of the fear when you have these mystery reactions is, am I developing another allergy to something that I have eaten? These are the times that cause a great deal of fear because it means looking at what you ate not long before the reactions and also what is in the environment when the reaction occurs. For me, I know that once I have had this type of reaction it means that I am going to be very careful for a while about anything that I eat or what I am near so that I can try and figure out what is causing the reactions.

Anyone with severe food allergies always deals with the fear of having a reaction because of cross-contamination or something like that. The fear of the mystery reaction means a lot of investigation to figure out the cause and also how to prevent another one from happening. Of course, after having a mystery reaction I know I experience a fear of food even things that are safe for me because I am not sure what I reacted to or why. Sometimes the fear is even being in a certain area just because that is where the last reaction has occurred. I have had times that I haven’t wanted to be in our own living room because I have had a couple of reactions in a short time period while in that room. We have now figured out that part of the reactions that I have been experiencing in our own home, when I haven’t been eating, is something that is airborne and causing the reaction. We continue to investigate this as it can lead to a feeling of being trapped and scared because of not knowing what caused the reaction and when another one is going to happen.

For anyone with food allergies, the mystery reaction can be very scary and it can also be scary for the people around you because it happens when you have been very careful. Understanding that this type of reaction can occur and knowing what to do when they occur does help. These reactions are the same as any other reaction just the cause of them is unknown, the reaction is the same and the steps to follow are the same.

Educating family and friends about food allergies

Once you have received the diagnosis of food allergies you then have to start trying to educate those around you about the challenges you are going to be facing. The word “try” is the best word because you are going to find that some people will get it very easily and then there are others that no matter what you say won't want to understand the issues you are going to be dealing with.

Some of the people around you will accept that there are going to be changes that need to be made and be extremely thankful for those people. You are also going to have to deal with the people that tell you that you will just have to deal with it yourself and you need to do it privately. Dealing with food allergies isn't something that you can deal with privately because no matter where you go you are going to be faced with a possible issue of cross-contamination depending on your allergies. Having food allergies can mean that a missed step could result in an anaphylactic reaction.

Some of the challenges or hurtful comments you may face from friends and/or family are:

• Your allergies are all in your head.
• You really don't have food allergies, you just claim to have them.
• Other people have health issues as well so you need to just deal with it yourself and don't talk about it.
• You ate it before so why can't you eat it now. This comment is really true for someone that is adult on-set anaphylaxis. Yes, they have been able to eat the food before but have developed anaphylaxis to it later in life.
• Don't talk about your allergies in public because it just shows there is something wrong with you.
• You may find that someone will even try and feed you something you are allergic to so that they can prove to you that you aren't allergic to it.

All of these comments just show that the person doesn't understand what you are dealing with. Being able to educate people on the issues of food allergies is very important as your life does depend on it. If you can't educate the people around you it may be difficult but you may have to avoid being around them where food is involved. Not everyone is going to totally understand the issues and challenges that someone with food allergies deals with on a daily basis.

Possible responses to hurtful comments:

• I'm sorry that you don't understand my allergies but I would be more than willing to explain them to you so that you can have a better understanding of what it's like to have food allergies.
• I didn't ask to have food allergies.
• I would like to show you how to use my auto-injector so that you if I do have a reaction when you are around you will understand how to administer it.
• It is true that I didn't have food allergies before and they have just appeared. Anyone can get them at any age.
• I understand other people have health issues and I do need to talk about my food allergies so that my life isn't at risk by a simple mistake.
• If you have health issues that you would like to talk about I am more than willing to listen to you in return for you listening to me.

Points to remember:

• Always have your un-expired auto-injector with you. (If you don't have it you don't eat)
• When you are out remember to let servers know what you are allergic to even if you have told the server on a previous visit.
• If you are going to friends make sure that they are aware of your allergies and don't be afraid of reminding them before hand what your specific allergies are.
• Ensure that your family and friends understand what you are allergic to and that they know how to use your auto-injector.

Having food allergies can be a challenge at the best of time but when people around you don't understand them or don't want to deal with them can make it even harder. Know who understands your allergies and value them because they are the ones you need to spend your time with.

Food allergies

Food allergies are something that people have to deal with. It may change your life in some ways but it doesn’t take away a lot of the things that you enjoy.

Being someone that grew into my various food allergies I have had to deal with a lot of the emotions that go with this change in my life. I was the girl that didn’t know anyone until I was working that had food allergies so I really didn’t understand what it was like to have to avoid something as it could result in a life-threatening reaction. My first exposure to food allergies was when I head about a girl I worked with having a reaction at a Christmas party after eating some soup that had anchovies in it. She ended up in emergency because of her food allergy.

The next time I encountered food allergies was when I was sitting in an allergists office and I was explaining how my face would swell up when I ate certain foods. Now this is when things changed for me in some ways. The result of this explanation was me being handed an auto-injector and being told that I had food allergies. Yes, food allergies to things that I normally ate but after that day had to change how I handled food.

Food allergies don’t rule my life, they have just changed some of the experiences in my life but it still means that I can enjoy a lot of things in my life. I had gone through the guilt of feeling different than others because I have to mention the allergies when I am in restaurants or visiting friends. I don’t look any different than anyone else I just have to avoid certain foods so that I don’t have a reaction.

So many times I have heard people say to me that I don’t look like I have food allergies but there isn’t an appearance for someone like me. Food allergies are an invisible condition until we have the reaction so it can be a challenge. Having food allergies doesn’t make me any different than anyone else. Sure it means that I have to talk about it to try and educate people but that’s it. I have had to deal with the emotional impact of having food allergies but it will never define who I am. I am not weak or defective because I have food allergies and I have had to realize this.

Food allergies are something that so many people are dealing with now and being able to stand tall and say yes I have food allergies but I am still like everyone else is very important. Sure, I may feel guilty when things have to be modified for me but I have come to realize that no matter what I didn’t ask to have food allergies and I didn’t end up with food allergies because of choices that I made. I have food allergies because that is how my body has decided it will handle things and not because I choice to have them.

Food allergies yes are part of my life and will be for the rest of my life but I am not ruled by my food allergies and will never see myself as weak or defective because of them.

Grocery shopping with food allergies

I have heard so many people say how much they enjoy going grocery shopping. People have mentioned that they can run in and pick something up and it doesn't take long at all. Now, I wish I could run in and not take long in a grocery store but with food allergies that isn't the case. Some stores even offer that they will do your shopping for you and you just have to drive up and pick it up. Oh, would that be nice sometimes not having to step foot into the grocery store.

Food allergies are normally something that you deal with mostly at home because that is where you do a lot of your food preparation. It is the getting the items for the various meals that turns into a challenge each time you go into the grocery store. Next time you go shopping think about having to read every label of everything you buy every time you buy an item. Yes, that is what our life is like and that is the life of anyone with food allergies, as we need to insure that there are no ingredients in what we purchase that might cause major allergic reactions and possibly kill us.

Grocery shopping becomes a challenge and a major obstacle course for finding food that is safe. A trip into the grocery store normally for us even when we aren't buying too many things is around an hour and longer if we are needing to find new foods.

Watching people quickly look at the labels of what they are buying makes me jealous. There isn't a quick look for us as every time we purchase something we have to double check the ingredient list. Sure the package can look the same as it did the week before but the ingredients can be different so yes that means checking every time you are in the store. Ingredients are something that do change and sometimes change quite often so making sure we check the packaging is very important for my safety. We also do check the nutritional factors because we want to ensure we are picking items that are good for the two of us.

The other challenge in the grocery stores are the areas where there are the pick your own oysters, etc. This means a wider circle around the different sections of the grocery store as well. Now, the meat counter can also be a challenge for something with a shellfish or seafood allergy when both counters are side by side. Making sure you communicate your allergies to the person behind the counter is very important so that they can do the necessary handling changes required.

For those of you that don't have to deal with food allergies here is a challenge for you. Next time you go into the grocery store to do your shopping read all the ingredient lists for everything you purchase. Look at the time difference it makes to your shopping trip and think that for so many of us that is a normal shopping trip. Yes, there are parents that need to find the snacks without peanuts or nuts for school lunches. Now if you don't have to do any of that checking think of how lucky you are and remember it can change at any time. I am adult on-set anaphylaxis so the checking all the labels isn't something I grew up doing.

Grocery shopping with food allergies can be a real challenge. The checking of the labels is required to ensure things remain safe each time we buy something but at least we have found a way to handle it and having two sets on eyes on the labels during our shopping trips does help.

Food courts and food allergies

There seems to be more and more shellfish being served in food courts and that is of a concern for anyone with a shellfish allergy. I am one of those individuals that carries an EpiPen due to my life-threatening allergy to shellfish.

It is amazing how many food court locations are now offering some sort of shellfish as part of their menu. It has been a real challenge to find spots where I can have a lunch without having to be concerned about cross-contamination being an issue. Before it was a rare thing to see shellfish being offered as part of food court menus but now it seems to be everywhere.

Pizza/Pasta locations now offer shrimp as a part of their pasta dishes, Sub locations now have a shellfish/seafood sub, Greek locations offer shrimp as a meat and the Chinese food locations are also offering shrimp as a selection. It makes the selection in any food court very slim when it comes to someone that deals with a shellfish allergy. There are individuals (customers and servers) that don't understand the risk of cross contamination, so any food being offered at a specific location (where shellfish is offered) is a risk.

The concern for peanuts in a lot of food court locations seems to have eased, but now it is the shellfish which is the issue. Shellfish allergies is one of the most common allergies for adults and who are the ones that are going into the food court either themselves or with their families? It is amazing when you address the issue of a shellfish allergy to staff, within the various locations in the food court. A number of them are not aware of the risks and issues of food allergies. The lack of knowledge of the staff makes it a bigger issue for someone to eat at these locations because of the risk that they are taking.

Food courts have always been a place for a quick meal especially when you are on the go. For me, a food court now is a challenge to find a location that doesn't offer shellfish. Being aware of your allergies and how to handle them makes going out a little easier. Of course, there will always be challenges when eating out but being able to find places where I can eat would make my life just that little bit easier.

For food court owners, remember that shellfish doesn't need to be offered everywhere. There are people that you are preventing from eating at your location due to that shellfish. If even a few chains decided to eliminate shellfish from their menu in the food court it would make it easier for so many of us to eat in the food court.

Food allergies and restaurants

Dealing with severe food allergies is always a challenge and more so when eating out. I have a severe allergy to shellfish which means if calamari is fried in the same oil as other food it limits what I can eat in any restaurant.

What I have been noticing the last while and it is starting to bother me is I feel like I am being punished or discriminated against because I have such a food allergy. Recently I went out for a lunch to a new restaurant and decided to have a hamburger and yes it was to come with fries. I asked if I could possibly have something other than the fries because of my severe food allergies to shellfish. The girl immediately said yes and said I could have either a garden or caesar salad instead of the fries. I was pretty happy that they would make a substitution without any issues until I got the bill. Because I substituted the fries for a caesar salad I was charged an additional $2.50 for the salad but never told that the charge would be made. If I had of been given a choice of maybe a garden for no charge and the caesar for a charge I may have done for the garden salad.

The problem that I am really having issue with is, being charged and not being told up front that an additional charge will be incurred. I understand that some substitutions would cost but I would like to know up front what the cost is and let me make a choice of what I am going to have. This surprise charge on a bill is very upsetting to me because this is happening more and more.

I did talk to a server at another restaurant and she was saying that they have to notify the customer of any additional charges for substitutions or extras. I think this is what all restaurants should be doing because the extra cost should be my choice if I have it or not. Also please explain why something that is being substituted costs so much extra. You are doing away with one food and replacing it with another. Now I understand a caesar salad may cost a little bit more than fries but really $2.50 extra that would probably be like adding another side to the meal.

I can see restaurants charging something for some substitutions especially if you just want to replace something. For those of us with severe food allergies it would be nice to get something without always having to pay for the changes in some restaurants. I didn't ask you to fry the calamari with the other foods so why am I the one that is being punished for your method of operation. What I also want is if there is a rule that all substitutions incur a cost let me know that the cost of the substitution is and if there are different costs for different choices and let me decide what I want.

For me what I don't like is feeling like I am being punished because I have the food allergies. I didn't ask to have them and I don't like having them but I have to live with them. Food allergies aren't something that we can simply forget and ignore when we are eating out because one wrong step could result in a hospital visit or worse.

food allergies - the emotions

For those that live with food allergies there is always a concern of having a reaction to something that we ate. I am one of those individuals that grew into all my food allergies whereas a lot of people have had them most if not all of their lives. I have what is called Adult Onset Anaphylaxis as I grew into my allergies as an adult.

Food allergies always mean we are double and even triple checking ingredient lists and talking to staff and management in restaurants to make sure we stay staff. Even the best of us can have reactions to something even after all the checking and double checking that we do. I know as I have had a couple of those reactions and got really upset when they have happened.

Now the reactions that I think are even worse then the known food or medicine reactions are the reactions that we get and don't know why. I have been dealing with that issue lately and have to admit that it is a major concern. I have been watching everything that I have been eating and still have had a couple of reactions that I am not sure why. For me, I have a number of food and one medical reaction and I grew into each of the items at a different time. With having this reactions lately I am now thinking am I now developing yet another food allergy.

The emotions you go through after having a reaction are very difficult to explain. In some cases there is a fear of food, especially if you don't know what caused the reaction. I have been dealing with the fear of food for the last little while and it does really effect a lot of what you do on a daily basis. I have been fearful of even going into a grocery store because I don't want another reaction.

The reaction that I had a week ago was when I was eating two hard boiled eggs and had taken my vitamins like I normally do. Now, I know that I have some issues with what they feed chickens to help with the egg production and that is ground oyster shells. Normally I can have eggs without feeling too bad but this time I had the reaction where my face swells up and I don't feel that great. No, I don't have the problem breathing but it does take a lot of my energy away as my blood pressure does drop. The other thing about this reaction was it happened within me having a couple of mouthfuls of the egg so now the issue starts. Is it the egg that caused the reaction or was it a combination with the vitamins that I took. Later on during the week I decided that I needed to get back to taking the 3 vitamins that I had been taking for over a month without any reactions so I took them and had another mild reaction. As you can see it is rough when you aren't sure what is causing the reactions.

So for now I am eating a lot of very basic foods: salads, fruit and meat without a lot of extras because I am very afraid of having another reaction. I am not happy not knowing that has caused these reactions because I am still not sure if I now have an allergy to eggs.

Food allergies always are a challenge and they don't just effect the person that suffers the reactions as they impact the family as well. I know this as my husband worries about each of my reactions and is there to watch over me while I deal with them. He also tries to make sure that everything we have in our house is safe for me.

If you suffer from food allergies know that you aren't alone and having a great support system is very important. So now, I continue to see what is causing the reactions and hopefully soon I will be back to eating foods and not being nervous every time I put something in my mouth.

Allergies and dealing with them

I am one of those individuals that deals with allergies, asthma as well as anaphylaxis. So for those that don't know what anaphylaxis is, it is the severe allergic reaction that could cause death if not treated. Anaphylaxis isn't just for food it can be for medication as well. I am anaphylaxis to some foods as well as codeine so it is something I deal with every day of my life now. I wasn't allergic to much growing up but the food and codeine allergies seemed to develop once I was an adult.

With regards to the food allergies I do have problems as sometimes people don't understand what I am saying to them. Here are some of the things that I deal with:

• When you ask if you can bring me something for lunch and I say no due to my allergies please understand. It's not that I don't appreciate the offer it's just with the life threatening or even allergies to things it makes it difficult for me to enjoy different foods.
• I know what I can and cannot have and sometimes even a small change in a diet can cause a bigger impact than it is worth. Please don't try and tell me what I am allergic or intolerant to because you will probably be wrong.
• The food itself may not cause me problems but it could simply be a combination of what I normally have and this new item could result in me having issues.
• So often people have offered to bring something for me and it is difficult to say no as I don't want to hurt their feelings, but I have to say no and explain why.
• The nicest thing you could do for me is understand that I have allergies and know that the best thing you can do for me is understand.

Recently a couple of us were discussing going out for a lunch and I had to say no because of all the food allergies and intolerances that I deal with. Of course, if you don't live with these reactions it can be harder to understand why I have to avoid some restaurants or meals. I have learned how to deal with my issue myself and thankfully I have a wonderful husband who assists me in dealing with them when I get too tired of dealing with them.

For me, I think one of the biggest challenges is that I was able to eat most of the stuff that I am now allergic to when I was growing up. Finding out that I was allergic to foods like pineapple and raspberries were very hard as it meant that I had to give up some of my favourite foods. I know that these foods taste like and having to walk away from them has been hard.

Allergies especially to food can be a challenge at the best of times. Of course it means you have to always be checking and double checking ingredients and even then you may miss a change.

Please understand I appreciate the offers of going out for lunch or you bringing me something as a treat but I can't take the chances. If you really want to get me something that I would like maybe an African violet plant as it doesn't cause me issues and I do like them.

I'm special not odd

Quite a few years ago I wrote an article called “I'm Special Not Odd” and it was about dealing with allergies and specifically food allergies that I have. The title was from a conversation with a parent about her son and his allergies when she said he was odd. To me having food allergies isn't odd, because so many people have them and I said to her, that he wasn't odd, he was special.

You see, for me dealing with my food allergies has been a challenge because I was 35 when I was first handed an auto-injector (Epi-Pen) and was told it was something that I was going to have to deal with for the rest of my life. What I didn't realize was that the first food allergy wasn't going to be the only food allergy that I was going to end up with. Now I go out and eat and if it is a new restaurant it becomes the challenge of asking all the various questions to make sure that I am going to be safe eating. My allergies are shellfish, pineapple, raspberries and cottonseed so of course not a lot of the common allergies that people seem to understand. OK, the shellfish is one of the top 10 food allergies but the rest aren't so they are harder to deal with when eating out.

Pineapple was something that I loved to eat growing up and now I have to totally avoid it. I have discovered that pineapple is used in quite a few barbeque sauces as a sweetener. Now I didn't think of that until eating some ribs and wondering why my mouth was getting very itching. After asking we discovered that the restaurant had changed their brand of barbeque sauce and their new one had pineapple in it. Yes I learned the hard way where pineapple could be found.

Raspberries are something that I also loved growing up and we even had raspberries bushes out the backyard which I loved. The bushes were actually planted so that I could go out during the summer and have berries ready to eat. Well, now I can look at all those raspberry bushes that people have and know that I just have to avoid them for the rest of my life.

Shellfish was something that I found out the hard way and it was by eating wings at a restaurant and the kitchen had used the same tongs to pick up my wings as they had used for some shrimp. Yes cross-contamination was how I discovered the shellfish allergy. We traveled down the east coast quite a few times while I was growing up and one of my favourite foods was scallops when we were visiting my aunt and uncle. Now, I can look at all the shellfish and seafood and avoid it because I don't want to have the allergic reaction.

Cottonseed was the challenging one to find because it hasn't been very well identified in a lot of food. I have finally found out that it is in some oils and even some steak seasonings so a challenge to find. I have had to find that one the hard way sometimes but at least now I have figured out where it is used most of the time and just avoid those foods. No seasoning on steaks when eating out and only eat fried foods if it is a known oil and no shellfish is fried in it. Well, since starting to write this blog I found out that even some peanut butter has cottonseed oil in it.  Now the search starts again for me to find food I can eat.

So see, I am special and not odd really. I just have some challenges that other people don't have but I have learned how to deal with them. I know that there are still chances of developing other food allergies but I just have to watch what I eat and ask a lot of questions when we are out at a restaurant.

Allergies in the world today

So many people have allergies in the world today.  Some have the occasional reaction due to seasonal allergies, while others deal with life-threatening allergies daily.  Knowing how to face the various allergies is important.

Life-threatening allergies are allergies that must be taken seriously.  If someone says they have a life-threatening allergy, believe them, and don't try to see what their reaction is like.  You can ask questions to gain knowledge and understanding, helping them avoid the allergen.  If you aren't comfortable dealing with the allergy, let the person know this.  It's better to tell them then try and hide your fear and in turn put the individual at risk.

For the individual with the allergy, it is important to know who around them understand and those that have problems dealing with it.  Not everyone can handle everything, so it's key to respect those that aren't comfortable, at least they let you know instead of putting you at risk.

Allergies, be them seasonal, or life-threatening, can develop at any age.  Learn what you can about your allergies, and then education those around you.

Allergies are in the world today, so we all have to face them.  Knowing you aren't alone is what matters.  I know I'm not alone when dealing with my life-threatening allergies, and that is what matters.

Allergies in today's world

Allergies in today's world are so much more visible than they were when I was growing up.  I don't remember hearing about severe allergies until I was working.  Now-a-days you hear people talking about the challenges of allergies, and its now just part of our lives.

Allergies for some people are harder, as these people deal with life-threatening ones.  Some people grow up with this type of allergy and others grow into them.  You never know if you are going to have life-threatening allergies until it happens.  I know this as I grew into some severe allergies.

Knowing that someone has severe allergies is very important.  I know some people have said I don't look like I have severe allergies, I didn't think someone with severe allergies looked any different from anyone else.  People have called life-threatening allergies an invisible disability, and I agree with that.  As hard as I try to have a normal life, I always have to watch and check to ensure I don't encounter the things I am severely allergic to.  People with life-threatening allergies look like everyone else.

It is very important to respect someone when they say they have severe allergies.  Not everyone reacts the same way when exposed to their allergen.  For me, I can be exposed to a small amount of an allergen and just feel uncomfortable, while other people can be exposed to a small amount and have a full anaphylactic attack.  The degree of the attacks do vary, but I do know that whenever I am exposed to my allergens it could result in a severe attack.  If someone says they have severe allergies, don't expose that person to their allergen just to see if it's true.

Severe allergies are difficult to deal with.  Knowing how to handle your own allergy is important, as well as letting others know about them.  Not telling others close to you about your severe allergies is not acceptable.  Severe allergies could cause a fatal attack, so ensuring others know about them and what to do in case of a severe reaction is important.

Allergies are more known today, so it means it should be easier to handle them.  We can't just reply on others to handle our allergies, we need to do it ourselves as well.