4 Tips For Coping With Food Allergies
Whether you are allergic to nuts or eggs, a food allergy can lead to unpleasant symptoms like hives, wheezing, stomach pain and swelling of the lips. In severe cases, an allergic reaction to food can lead to a coma or death. However, if you watch what you eat and maintain a healthy lifestyle, you can successfully manage your food allergy. Here are four tips for coping with food allergies:
Be Careful When Preparing Food
If other people in your house do not have food allergies, you have to be especially careful when preparing food. For example, you should have a separate set of cooking and eating utensils just for yourself. This way, you will not accidentally come in contact with the food you are allergic to.
Focus on What You Can Eat
When you are allergic to a certain food, it is easy to focus your mind on just that food. However, doing this will just make you feel worse about the situation. It is better to focus your mind on the foods that you can eat. For example, if you are allergic to eggs, you can still eat plenty of other delicious foods for breakfast such as oatmeal, pancakes and yogurt.
Plan Ahead When Dining Out
Eating out at restaurants can be more difficult with food allergies, but it is not impossible. If you plan to dine out, you should call the restaurant a few hours beforehand and tell the chef about your food allergy. This way, he can prepare your food ahead of time. For example, if there is an allergen in one of the marinades, the chef can leave out the marinade for your portion.
Do not Forget Your Medication
Even if you are good about carefully reading food labels and letting restaurant managers know about your food allergies, accidents can still happen. That is why you should never leave home without your medication. If you accidentally ingest something you are not supposed to, the medicine can prevent a potentially life threatening situation.
A food allergy will definitely pose some challenges in your life at times, but it is still possible to manage. If you follow these helpful tips, you can cope with your food allergy easier and live a normal life. However, if you ever experience any serious reactions, such as tightened airways, drop in blood pressure or dizziness, you should go to a hospital immediately. Visit an immunology doctor, such as Asthma and Allergy Clinic, for more information.