Do you read every label, on every package of food, every week, at the grocery store? Have you ever feared for your child's life as you drove to a friend's birthday party or school celebration? Do you bake most things from scratch so you can control the ingredients?
Probably not — unless you have a child or family member with a life-threatening food allergy.
As many as 15 million Americans have food allergies, including approximately 6 million children, and there has been a dramatic increase in the last few years by those affected by food allergies.
Even if there are no known food allergies in your immediate family, chances are you are in close contact with someone who does cope with food allergies. As a parent of a child with a severe peanut allergy, I can say with certainty that having support from non-allergic families is key to my stress level and, most importantly, the safety of my child.
Food allergies present a real danger and, speaking from personal experience, add a lot of stress and anxiety to daily life. I have so much respect and appreciation for the friends, family members, and caregivers in our life who have taken the time to educate themselves about what our daughter's allergy really means and taking all necessary steps to keep her safe. It is a daily battle to keep her safe and I am so thankful we have a strong army of supporters behind us.
In the spirit of spreading the news and keeping those with food allergies safe, here are four ways you can support a friend, classmate, playmate, or family member with food allergies.
Wash Your Child's Hands and Face
If your kids are anything like mine, meals and snacks are messy. Faces, fingers, and other body parts end up covered in the food du jour.
Particles left behind around mouths and on hands can easily be transferred to toys and other surfaces that everyone touches. For those with severe food allergies, this residue can be enough to trigger a reaction.
The simple act of washing hands and faces after meals and snacks can prevent harmful food particles from being unintentionally shared. Washing with warm soap and water is key, as hand sanitizer will not adequately remove certain food proteins that can trigger a reaction.
Party Planning with Precaution
As a society, our celebrations tend to be food focused. Candies, cakes, and potluck dishes abound at holiday and birthday celebrations. This can be a nightmare to navigate with a severe food allergy.
If you know you will have a food-allergic guest, call ahead of time to discuss ways the celebration can be safe. Coordinate with room parents about school parties and consider changing the focus from food to a craft or book about the celebration. For birthday parties or holiday celebrations, let your food allergic guests know the menu so they can plan ahead to eat before they come or bring safe alternatives.
For my daughter, I keep a stash of frozen cupcakes at the ready. I talk to the host ahead of time and try to decorate her cupcake with the same colors or theme of the cake at the party.
Also, think about snacks that are out and within easy reach of younger guests. Bowls of nuts, chocolate candies, and other popular party snacks can be dangerous. Try to come up with safe alternatives or put unsafe snacks up high enough so little ones will not be tempted to grab and go before anyone notices.
Read Labels
Reading labels is absolutely necessary for those with food allergies. It is important to check not only the ingredients but also notes on how or where a food is processed. We have learned, for example, that some brands of pretzels and crackers are unsafe for our daughter because they are processed in a plant with nuts.
Remember to check non-food items as well. Through reading labels we have discovered that some potting soils and most bird feed contains peanuts so we have opted to restrict them from our house.
Reading labels is a weekly part of our grocery trips. We even check foods that we buy every week because manufacturers change plants and processes often. A food that was once safe can become unsafe overnight if the allergen is introduced via a new process.
You can do your part to help by taking time to read labels too. If you are like me, you will be amazed at what you find and how many foods fall on the unsafe list for those with food allergies.
Know How to Respond
If you have someone in your care who has a food allergy, be sure you know how to respond should a reaction occur. Understand the symptoms of a reaction and how to treat it.
Most parents with children who have severe food allergies have an Allergy Action Plan that details what to do and how to respond, from a mild to a severe reaction. Be familiar with the plan and the specific protocol to follow — each child is different and it may be that two children allergic to the same food will react differently and require a different intervention.
Mild reactions may be treatable with OTC allergy medicines. Know the signs that indicate that it is a mild reaction, usually hives or watery eyes. Know the correct dose to administer, and once the medicine has been given be sure to monitor the child for an escalation of symptoms. If the OTC medication is not working move quickly to the protocol for managing a severe reaction.
When a severe reaction occurs, the body is in anaphylactic shock. If not treated properly and swiftly, the result is death.
According to information on the FARE website, a food allergy reaction sends someone to the emergency room every three minutes and the reaction is one of anaphylaxis every six minutes. After the onset of anaphylaxis, the person must be treated at a hospital as there is no way to reverse the process without direct medical treatment. Your job is to act quickly and keep the person safe until trained medical personnel can arrive.
People with severe food allergies should have an EpiPen with them at all times. The injection of epinephrine will buy the person time until trained medical staff can arrive and take over treatment. Administer the EpiPen and call 9-1-1 at the first sign of anaphylactic shock — swelling of the face or lips and difficulty breathing, among others.
Know how to administer the EpiPen (most pens also come with a trainer pen so you can practice administering it and not waste valuable seconds reading directions in the event of a severe reaction).
Most food allergic people carry two EpiPens. The first injection may not provide enough medicine to control the reaction or too much time may elapse between when the first pen is injected and help arrives. Monitor the person and if an escalation of symptoms occurs, use the second EpiPen.
Thanks to Tami Pyles for your valuable article contribution this week! If you or someone you know would like to submit an article to Macaroni Kid, please contact kyriec@macaronikid.com.
FARE (Food Allergy Research & Education) aims to raise public awareness, provide advocacy and education, and advance research on behalf of all those affected by food allergies and anaphylaxis. For more information about food allergies and how to manage them, visit www.foodallergy.org.
