In the recent Living Without Magazine August/September 2009, there is an article on Adolescence and Anaphylaxis. According to author, Wendy Mondello, raising a child with Anaphylaxis is extremely difficult during the teenage years. The teenage years are tumultuous even without food allergies.
I mention this article, because many of our customers have children with Celiac, Food Intolerances and Allergies (both anaphylactic and IgE). During the adolescent and teenage years, many parents become extremely worried about their children's health and well being. When children have anaphylactic allergies, taking risks regarding food choices could end in death, especially if they are too embarrassed to carry their own food, to carry an epi-pen or as Mondello mentions, if they have an allergic reaction and they wonder off.
According to Mondello, the answer to getting children safely through their adolescent and teen years is by raising your kids to be confident, prepared.
Tips for Living Safely as a Teenager With Allergies or Celiac:
1. Be Confident. It is good for your relationships and your health.
2. Be open with your friends about your allergies or food intolerances.
3. Carry medication, if you need it, with you at all times!
4. Wear a medic alert bracelet (medicalalert.com)
5. It is okay to tell a date about your allergy. According to the FAAN website, most individuals break down food particles about four and a 1/2 hours after injesting food (see: http://faanteen.org/foodallergy101/kissing_study.php). This study should pertain to reactions from celiac disease as well (I'm not aware however, regarding whether research had been done on this topic)
Mondello also lists a series of steps for Friends and Family of individuals who are food allergic. These steps can also be applied to Friends and Family of individuals that have Celiac Disease or gluten-intolerance.
Steps for Parents:
1. "keep the lines of communication open"
2. "teach your child to speak up and self advocate"
3. "instruct your child on how to read labels and what foods to avoid"
4. "establish and enforce safety rules"
5. "stock up on a selection of safe snacks for use both home and away. It's less tempting for your teen to cheat when a favorite snack" is within reach.
I find that number 5 is extremely important. I have many times had parents ask me about their children getting contaminated. When children have a food allergy and they can't safely sneak eating un-healthy food at school or at social events, children often take risks that can effect their health and potentially their life.
Steps for Friends:
1. "Learn which friends you must avoid."
2. "Understand symptoms of a food allergy reaction: hives, nausea, vomiting, swelling of the tongue and throat, difficulty breathing, tingling sensation in the mouth, abdominal cramps, loss of consciousness."
3. "Know what medications your friend uses to treat the allergy and how to administer them in an emergency."
4. "Remind your friend to read labels and ask about ingredients."
For more information on anaphylaxis and the teenage years, it is recommended that you check out the article "Talking to Your Teen About Food Allergy" at www.foodallergy.org and that you
go to the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network's teen site: www.faanteen.org. If you are visiting Virginia in November, you might also be interested in the FAAN Teen Summit for supporting and educating allergic teens and their parents. The Summit is in Arlington, Virginia from November 13th until November 15th.
