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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