Questions & Answers

Suggestion on how to help your server in a restaurant be sure you don't get something you shouldn't have
CHEF CARDS

I have posted this before, but perhaps time to do so again. https://www.foodallergy.org/sites/default/files...

You can download these cards which you customize with your allergies or food intolerances. Laminate them and give one to your server when you go out to eat and ask them to show the chef. If you have foods that would require you to use your epipen if eaten - be… read more

In another question thread, several people have mentioned that at points they have made Food Diaries to help them figure out allergies and symptoms. I would like everyone to share here their strategies in making a good Food Diary so we can help the newly diagnosed or those who have recently developed a new food allergy to join their regular food allergies.

I have another health problem (Hypokalemic Periodic Paralysis) that is also affected by food, so I just used the same kind of Food Diary… read more

just thought I would start a myth busting post.

honey does not cure hay fever. so buy local honey because you like the taste but don't give it any magical cures okay?

Bees collect pollen from flowers which have larger heavier grain pollens than the ones that cause hay fever.
hay fever is caused by much smaller finer grains of pollen.
a bee may pick up some by accident, but not enough to induce any form of tolerance therapy.

it also does not increase in small amounts the pollen exposure for… read more

It can be difficult to always remember to check the ingredients on everything you interact with 100% of the time. What do you look for on the product that might indicate changes to the product even before you get to the ingredient list?

I personally look to see if the packaging of the product has any changes. If the packaging has a change, the ingredients have usually been changed.

Another thing I do is smell products to see if there is an obvious change to the smell. I have inhalant… read more

Grocery items I used to buy have sea salt included now. Some restaurants use sea salt now.

I have a severe tree nut allergy, and I tried the challenge approach in the allergist's office. After 5 hours I ingested one whole almond, but because I did not show any symptoms in the office he told me I could eat almonds (ha, ha). I didn't have a reaction until 2 hours later. My tongue began swelling. Needless to say, I stay away from all tree nuts!

What is your view on it? I wasn't too impressed as it seemed to only highlight peanut, and as milk is most common allergy didn't understand why it wasn't mentioned .
also the myth that reactions get worse over time with each reaction was a shame.

I liked the segment on the indian restaurant owner who got 6 yrs in jail for a peanut allergy death.

If you haven't seen it have a watch and let me know what you think.

How do you explain to restaurants that you have food allergies and how do you know they listen yo you? I have a selected few restaurants I go to, and when I have to go to a new one I feel like my life is in danger...which it technically is (hehe) seeing as my anaphalaxis has reached a point where I have an epipen with me at all times, and even then I do not have long to get to a doctor...just wondering how everyone else copes with restaurants and take away places...

[Hello! This has been a wonderful place to lurk in the past couple of days. So glad to have found this site!!]

I have loads of food allergies, and many of them I will have reactions to just being in the same room with them. So on top of the added stress to being out in public or eating out, is the stress of finding a job. Both my mother and sister have held a few local jobs here, and all of them have had break rooms where people brought in major allergens. One of them was a Kmart, where… read more