Hives. Stomach pain. Vomiting. Lethargy. An anaphylactic reaction is terrifying. Maybe you kicked into gear and gave them the epinephrine shot. Perhaps you were like me in the beginning and took them straight to the ER, not sure if you had needed to give an epinephrine shot. Maybe it was the school telling you there […]
Stress goes hand-in-hand with being a food allergy parent. Dr. Fawn McNeil-Haber gives parents tips on reducing that stress. Increase your internal awareness Create a support system or food allergy tribe Be informed Nurture your world outside of food allergies Take a break If you’re interested in learning more, check out Dr. Fawn […]
(Today’s blog is a little different. A little more personal) I’ve been doing a bit of avoiding of the to do list today. It’s that time of the year for me again. Summer camps, birthday parties, and Epipen renewal. I knew there was a reason my stomach was churning this morning. […]
In Part 3 of this series, we finalize our discussion of the Food Allergies Hierarchy of Needs. Now that we’ve tackled Physiological and Safety needs, let’s move onto Love & Belonging, Self-Advocacy, and Fulfillment & Acceptance. Love and Belonging Once you’re on the same page about your child’s physiological and safety needs, it’s […]
In Part 1 of this series, we discussed the “why” and “how” of co-parents getting on the same page when it comes to a child’s food allergies. In Parts 2 and 3, we continue the “how” with some help from Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs comes from Abraham Maslow’s work in developmental […]
The Isolating Struggles Any parent who has a child with food allergies can tell you what a challenging experience it is. The constant fear of harm, anxiety about contamination/contact, accommodations that need to be made for safety, and more, take a toll on the food allergy parent. While other children are picking their favorite foods […]
As a food allergy parent, one of your biggest fears may be an anaphylactic reaction. Rightly so, these multi-system, life-threatening reactions to an allergen create a chain reaction in the body. The immune system releases a flood of chemicals that can compromise the functioning of bodily organs. As a food allergy parent myself, this sounds […]
In our previous blog, we talked about helping teens with food allergies and anxiety. In this fourth, and final blog in the series, we will be discussing how stress goes hand in hand with being a food allergy parent. You worry about food, checking ingredient lists, accidental exposures, healthy eating, and cross contamination. You worry […]
Last time, we talked about young children with food allergy related anxiety. In this third article in our series, we look at teens with food allergies who start to experience heightened anxiety. Adolescence is full of changes and adjustments that create additional stress for teens. Peer dynamics shift, thinking becomes more complicated, and teens crave […]
In the first part of our series, we discussed what anxiety related to food allergies may look like. This time, we look at the unique ways elementary school children show anxiety and how to help. Signs of anxiety in young children Repeated reports of headaches, stomachaches and other physical pains Clinginess including unwillingness to separate […]