Dealing With Your Child s Food Allergy

Food allergies are a growing concern and even more so with our children. In the USA alone there are as many as 7 million people living with a life threatening food allergy many of which are related to the peanut family. Dealing with your child s food allergy can be a serious matter.

Of course it all depends on what type of food allergy your child has as to the seriousness. Some allergies may cause little more than a bit of an upset stomach, dry cough, or runny nose but for others the situation can be life and death. If that is the case it is important that your child understands as this can be the first line of defense.

However with younger children keeping a handle on that food allergy can be a bit more difficult. It is important that all care givers, teachers, parents of new friends, and anyone else the child may be exposed to are fully aware of the allergy and its seriousness.

Whether it is a nut allergy or any other type of food allergy they may run from mild to fatal and can include tingling, wheezing, hives, tummy upset, and diarrhea.

A fatal food allergy can kill in two different ways. The first is from swallowing the food which causes instant swelling in the vocal cords, quickly stopping the breathing, and almost instantly killing before anyone recognizes what is going on. This is called laryngospasm. The second we are all more familiar with and it is called anaphylactic shock where it can take as long as two hours for the reaction to occur and it will kill if intervention is not there.

Nut allergies are a serious food allergy for many but they are only one of many food allergies and one we are more aware of because so many foods contained traces of nuts but were not marked. A practice that is changing. Another very common food allergy is to the dyes used in foods which are thought to cause hyperactivity and even learning problems with some children.

There are some excellent natural remedies that can help treat a non life threatening food allergy. A food allergy is a reaction by the body s immune system which is designed to fight disease and bacteria keeping us safe but
Some times it misfires as in the case of a food allergy.

For a mild to moderate food allergy you can look to some natural herbs and supplements for relief. You can also increase the amount of cold water fish your child eats of you can give them a supplement. You should also eliminate trans fats from their diet and increase the amount of fresh fruits and vegetables they eat.

And of course you can always eliminate the food that causes the food allergy from your child s diet. For example if your child is allergic to dairy products restrict the child s intake. This only works however if there is only a few food allergies. If your child is allergic to many foods you will want to look at alternatives.

Of course you will still most likely have to eliminate the source of the food allergy until your child becomes desensitized. With serious food allergies such as nuts do not play around trying to home treat. You should also make sure your child always has an anaphylactic kit on them and make sure everyone that will come in contact with your child and could be feeding fully understands this food allergy.

Many make the mistake of thinking that if they do not feed nuts they will have ensured that the child is not exposed to the food allergy not realizing that just trace amounts can be deadly. This is also true with other foods that might have trace amounts present in an unsuspecting environment.

Just about everyone suffers to some degree from a food allergy and our children are no different. However dealing with a child s food allergy can be much more serious because it can be missed much easier than with an adult. Children simply forget.

By: Ramone Stevenson -

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