Page 10 - The Ultimate Guidebook for Teens with Food Allergies

Anaphylaxis is not only a hard word to say or spell. It’s also a hard concept to understand. Many people who are not very aware of food allergies think that they only cause sniffles or sneezing. Anaphylaxis is a serious allergic reaction that can happen quickly and is potentially life-threatening.
There is no cure for food allergies and even trace amounts of an allergen can cause a severe reaction. This is why it’s so important for people with serious food allergies to know how to avoid the things they are allergic to and to have epinephrine (like EpiPen® or Allerject®/Auvi-QTM) with them at all times.
Quick Tip – According to recent studies in the US, it appears that the incidence of peanut and tree nut allergies among children has tripled from 1997 to 2008.2
What would you say? (Q&A)
Q&A with YAP members Hannah, Sydney H., Talia, and Tess
How long have you had allergies?
Hannah – I’ve had allergies since I was diagnosed at age 2. Sydney H. - I was diagnosed with food allergies when I was 14. Talia - I’ve had allergies my whole life!
Tess - I had my first allergic reaction when I was 15 months old. I was officially diagnosed about three months later. I had something called panel testing done and my parents were told that I had multiple food allergies. For approximately 13 years, I avoided many food groups because I believed that I was allergic to them. Thanks to a new allergist, and multiple oral challenges, he disproved many of these and narrowed this list down to peanuts and tree nuts. I have a much wider diet now!
How many people do you know at school with allergies?
Hannah - Throughout my life, I’ve known very few other people who have allergies as serious as my
own. At my high school, I know of only 5 other people who have a food allergy.
Sydney H. - I know about half a dozen people at my school with food allergies. But I'm always looking to meet more!
Talia - A few of my friends have seasonal allergies. But only two of them have food allergies.
2 Branum AM & Lukacs SL. Food Allergy Among U.S. Children: Trends in Prevalence and Hospitalizations, National Center for Health Statistics, Hyattsville, MD, 2008