Allergies can be pretty wacky!  Every child may react differently to whatever it is that they are allergic to.  For some it’s just a matter of watery eyes and itching but for others, their allergic reactions can be quite severe.  

The most serious type of reaction is called Anaphylaxis, a condition in which your body has an allergic reactions in multiple parts of your body (like hives and difficulty breathing) and may result in needing emergency medicine as well as getting to the hospital for treatment right away!  Any children at risk for severe reactions should always make sure that the emergency, life-saving medication that their doctor prescribed to them, called epinepherine is nearby.  They should always let an adult know the moment they feel like something is wrong.

Here is a list of some common reactions to allergies:

- sneezing

- wheezing

- itchy hives

- scratchy throat

- dizziness

-vomiting

-diarrehea

-difficulty breathing

-anaphylaxis

Um. Okay. Let me just think about this for a minute… I don’t want to make a mistake on my first… Wait a second! That’s it…

A MISTAKE!

That’s what causes an allergy. An allergy is what happens when your body or more specifically, your IMMUNE SYSTEM makes a MISTAKE and treats something that is supposed to be harmless to you (like a peanut or an egg) as though it is something that is really bad for you (like bacteria or a virus).

How does this happen....

Well, I’m sure you’ve heard of important parts that exist inside of your body like your heart… or your brain that help keep you alive and healthy. But did you know that you also have a whole team inside of your body called the IMMUNE SYSTEM whose job it is to PROTECT you from any “BAD GUYS” that enter your body (like yucky, gross bacteria or germs)? Hey, it’s kinda like your body’s own Superhero Station!

When the BAD GUYS (bacteria or germs) enter your body, your IMMUNE SYSTEM, (AKA, Superhero Station) sends out SuperHero Agents (called ANTIBODIES) to attack and destroy them. Well, believing that something that you allergic to like say... eggs is one of the BAD GUYS the SuperHero agents (ANTIBODIES) rush to defend you by releasing STRONG CHEMICAL WEAPONS within your bodycalled HISTAMINES and that’ s what causes those yucky symptoms like swollen eyes, hives, coughing, difficulty breathing and lots more. In a nutshell (no pun intended) your allergies are pretty much the result of a simple case of mistaken identity.

Good question. Your body can make that mistake that we spoke about to just about ANYTHING that enters your body through your nose, mouth or skin. Every single person is different and so are their allergies, but the most commons allergies are…

FOOD ALLERGIES, DUST ALLERGIES,

OUTDOOR ALLERGIES, INSECT ALLERGIES, 

LATEX ALLERGIES, ANIMAL (DANDER) ALLERGIES, 

CHEMICAL ALLERGIES, MEDICINE ALLERGIES & 

MOLD ALLERGIES.

And no… being allergic to homework is not on this list!

As far as food allergies go. One can have an allergic reaction to just about any kind of food however the most common foods allergies are…

drumroll please…

PEANUTS, (TREE) NUTS, DAIRY , EGGS, SOY, WHEAT,

FISH, SHELLFISH  and increasingly … SESAME allergies.

Run like the wind…

Okay I’m just kidding. But kidding aside...

 Right now there’s no real cure for allergies so your best bet is to:

STAY AWAY FROM WHATEVER MAKES YOU ALLERGIC!

If you have food allergies then…
Don’t trade food with your friends!
Don’t eat food if you don't know what's in it!
Read all food labels.
Read all food labels.
Read all food labels!

Oh and if you can’t understand them, make sure that someone who can does. Your family and other grown ups are probably really good at helping you with this.

GO SEE A DOCTOR!

Your family doctor, a pediatrician or a specialist such as an allergist can help a lot. I’m kinda like an expert but let’s face it, I’m also kinda just a peanut too, so make sure you get some real help. A doctor can test you to see what allergies you have, check to see if the symptoms to your allergy are getting worse or better and give you a prescription for medicine to help make your symptoms go away.

CARRY MEDICINE WITH YOU AT ALL TIMES!

Hey that smart doctor I just mentioned, well he or she can let you know about what kind of medicine you can take when you are having an allergic reaction or even to help you avoid having an allergic reaction.  Below are some examples of what your doctor may prescribe to you. 

– two doses of a medicine called epinephrine.  This medicine is prescribed to people who are have severe allergies and usually comes in an auto injector (an auto injector is a medical device designed to give you a measured dose of medicine in case of an emergency.

-  Diphenhydramine (most commonly known as Benadryl).  Comes in both liquid form as well as pills.

– an inhaler  (this is for kids who have asthma as well)

LET OTHERS KNOW ABOUT YOUR ALLERGIES 

Hey there’s nothing to be embarrassed about! Millions of kids all around the world have allergies!  As a matter of fact, it would be really smart to wear something that lets other people know what you’re allergic to -– like an AllerMates® necklace or wristband. That way people like your teachers and friends can help you stay away from whatever it is you’re allergic to.