Thursday 26 January 2012

Food Allergy and Intolerance Week - Not as easy as it first appears

Food Allergy & Intolerance Week runs from 23rd to 29th January and is looking to raise awareness not just of the physical effects of these conditions, but the social impact they have. Allergy UK will be providing help and support throughout the week for the millions of sufferers in the UK


Bobs new friend E lives across the road, and like Bob she suffers from multiple food allergies, and her mum Sammykins has kindly written me a guest post on her experiences with E.

This post highlights the dangers of foods in the same food group family. Sammykins tells us

Most people are aware of the risks of food allergies for children who suffer from such a restricting and debilitating condition. But what many are not aware of are the links between food groups and families- which can give rare reactions. Or even from the risks of products we wouldn't eat, but can pose a huge risk to an allergy sufferer!

My daughter, E, has severe multiple allergies. Like wee Bob, these have restricted her as she has grown up and caused many a confusion at the A&E and Surgery when she presents with severe symptoms and no obvious cause.

The two that stick in my mind most were unusual, not because of the way they presented but because of the actual allergen involved.

Whilst snacking on a fruit salad one day, E began to react violently to foods which were seemingly safe. Cherries were the only thing that she hadn't had before. As most fruits seem to be fine for her, I was a bit puzzled by this.

After the initial panic, frantic dash for medicine and settling E after the reaction, I started to look into some 'reasons' as to why cherries would cause a problem. It took a while but after some searching and reading, I discovered that cherries are in the same 'family' as almonds. And most of the foods in this group cause a reaction for E. This made a whole lot of sense!

Peanuts and tree-nuts come from different subfamilies. Peanuts are actually classed as a pulse. Bob can eat peas but not peanuts. E cannot eat any food from the pulse family.

Allergies have no rules, they can make a child feel 'different' and isolated. Parents can feel the same way. It's possible to adapt some things to safe guard against a reaction occurring, but it's costly, time consuming and often exhausting and emotionally draining coping on a daily basis. The very stuff that should sustain us can be deadly!

The other story that sticks in my mind was the saga of the gerbils. E was desperate for a pet that wasn't an allergy safe goldfish! She took herself to the pet shop one Saturday and returned with 2 adorable little gerbils. Now, the problem is small rodent foods, as a rule, contain peanuts. Being as E reacts to even refined peanut oils this was going to pose a huge problem. Well, my house may not run like a 'normal' house, but its normal for us! With effort and research, I found one make of gerbil food which did not contain nuts. A little bit more pricey than your average pet food, but still....And, magic! There was one supplier in my home town!

So we adapted the gerbil box. Sand instead of sawdust, nut free kibble. I can't tell you how many people had a good giggle at my request for nut free gerbil food, and to the reasons why I needed it.

The best advice I could offer in supporting an allergy prone family is LISTEN.LISTEN.LISTEN.
Allergies are becoming increasingly common, but are very unique and personal to the sufferer. Bob and E have 12 years of an age difference between them, but a common link with severe allergies. They both have highly specialized dietary requirements, but what works for Bob doesn't work for E and vice versa. The expertise offered from the parent of an allergic child is invaluable! It doesn't matter how odd it may sound or how bizzare it may seem...follow the request of the parent and keep the kiddie safe!

Don't be afraid to include an allergic child in games and parties- but do pay attention to the safety advice provided by the carer.

Hopefully, more and more people will become involved with the work that Allergy awareness week offers. Raising awareness is the way forward in bringing an allergic child into mainstream living.

:0)
  It is not something I was aware of before Bob, but food families are strange, dont always make sense, and proves that even allergy children dont play by the rules!!

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