Coping With A Food Allergy:
Take The Right Steps
In your everyday family environment, coping with a food allergy has its own set of trials and tribulations. Not every problem will come up at once, but some of these will factor into daily occurrences as time goes by. But by familiarizing yourself now, you have the advantage that if the situation does arise you can and will be better prepared on coping with a food allergy and handling the situation with less stress and more control. If you are in control, your family will tend not to over-react either. Normalcy can and will return to the family at a much faster rate with less fear of the unknown. Day Of DiagnosisMany people, especially the adults, are usually glad for the diagnosis. Finally, all of the feelings of unrest, skin rashes, hives, welts, upset stomach and on and on has a name. Even if the name brings no physical relief, mentally now there is something to "call it". That name itself reduces the anxiety and gives you time now to concentrate on what needs to be done for treatment.Also, many doctors report that their patients have admitted that having food allergies is one of the best things that has probably ever happened to them for their health. It seems, being more careful about what you can put into the mouth has lead to greater advantages for the patient and usually the entire family itself. Setting Up A Treatment PlanWhen you are sent home after that diagnosis, coping with a food allergy generally means a one step treatment plan. Avoid your allergy triggers. This can include eating, touching or even breathing in the presence of the allergen in some severe cases. Some people have been known to have an allergic reaction just from smelling their trigger.Risks Involved In Accidental ExposureStrict avoidance is always prescribed as the #1 rule to follow. But actually avoidance in reality can be a whole lot more difficult than what it sounds. 
Mistakes can and do happen all the time. This is the reason you never assume a product is safe. If you have not seen the ingredient label - I do not care what it is or who told you - that product is off limits. It is not safe! The six most frequent reasons given in Emergency Departments for an allergy flare-up include the following: - well-meaning friends or relatives that are not familiar with reading and understanding an ingredient label
- some people assume a food allergy is just an inconvenience, like a bad stomachache or a bad case of diarrhea
- not realizing the presence of your allergy trigger could be in such an unusual place or product
- an ingredient label has changed but you assumed the product was still safe
- cross-contamination from toys, clothing, countertops, kitchen utensils or even food jars (someone put a peanut butter knife in the jelly jar)
- cross-contamination in the manufacturing process
Support and Attention For The Rest Of The FamilyBeing the brother or sister to a food-allergic child can be like being an invisible member of a family. So much time, attention and activity is centered around the child with food allergies being sure they are safe, the non-allergic child will start to feel anger, jealousy, or even resent their sibling. Kids have often stated that they are responsible for their brother/sister's attack because they "wished for it" so hard that they would become sick.Therefore, be careful what you promise, even to yourself, but realize you must also give time to the other children of the family. Explain why it is so necessary that you work closely with their brother's teacher, camp counselor, birthday party host, school, etc.. Make sure they realize this does not mean you do not love them also but because their brother is not safe unless other people are educated about his dietary restrictions. Always make sure on any family discussions about coping with a food allergy , the non-allergic child is to be included in these discussions. They are part of the family also. Many times the kids can come up with suggestions for school, play, camp etc. that the adults would never even have thought of. But more importantly, they are being given the opportunity to set and understand the goals of the family as a unit. By setting an environment of allowing all of your children to voice their feelings, many emotional trials can be prevented as the kids grow into adolescence. Coping with a food allergy is not just a concern for the individual, it is a concern of the whole family.
Return to "Food Allergy Safety" from "Coping With A Food Allergy".
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*Disclaimer*
This site is not intended to replace the advice and supervision of your professional medical treatment plan. Although all of the information is true and accurate to the best of our knowledge, we still recommend you carefully check all food labels before consuming any food product. We can not assume any legal responsibility for any illness obtained while following the advice contained on this site.
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