One time, when I was at a birthday party, I didn’t know that the brownies had peanuts in them. They looked so good. I thought maybe a tiny bite would be okay since it was something that I never tried before. But as soon as I ate it, my mouth started to tingle. My lips grew and my throat began to clog. I knew something was wrong. I told my friend and he helped me tell the adults. Soon, my chest felt tight and it became hard to breathe. They called 911 and the paramedics gave m

Living with lactose intolerance affects many parts of my daily life, especially when it comes to food and social situations. Because my body cannot properly digest lactose, I have to be careful about what I eat to avoid stomach pain, bloating, and discomfort. This means I often check food labels to see if products contain milk, butter, cream, or cheese. Simple meals that many people do not think twice about, such as cereal with milk or pizza, can be difficult for me. At schoo

While many people assume all allergies are the same, my peanut allergy is oddly specific. When I ingest peanuts, my reaction is immediate and physical. My mouth and throat begin to swell, creating a sensation that is less like a sharp pain and more like an overwhelming, suffocating discomfort. It is a frightening experience, as in the moment, I feel a sense of dread, as if my body is shutting down. The only way I find relief is by getting the peanuts out of my system (through

I am a high school student who has struggled with anxiety for a lot of my life, which has also manifested in food. From when I was little, I was quite unlucky and had many cases of food poisoning, which caused me to be hyperaware of the ingredients and foods and anything that could trigger a reaction. It gave me a sense of comfort that my peanut allergy was caught so early, so I didn't have to face that uninformed as well. However, I did experience an allergic reaction after

When I eat peanuts, my body doesn’t panic - it protests. It begins quietly, with a tingle at the corner of my mouth, easy to dismiss if I wanted to. Then my lip erupts into a red, itchy rash, swollen and irritated, like my skin is calling attention to something I’d rather ignore. It’s never been life-threatening, never dramatic enough for emergency rooms or injections, but it’s uncomfortable and visible, and that’s enough to shape how I move through the world. I first noticed

A couple of years back, my family and I were hungry and planned to go and eat something quick. Normally, our go-to fast meal would be a carryout restaurant called Kenny's Sub Shop(it was delicious!) We would usually get the chicken and broccoli, egg rolls, white rice, fried rice, and beef lo mein. When the food was ready, I ate every bite of my chicken and Broccoli. This time we had gotten egg rolls and I still felt a bit hungry. When I opened the wrapper, the egg roll was d

Having an allergy to all tree nuts means I must always stay alert. Simple things like grabbing food, eating out, or visiting friends become a whole search warrant . You have to really look closely at ingredient lists, sometimes a few times, looking out for tree nuts. For me, food isn't just about how it tastes or how easy it is. It's about staying safe. Social stuff can be tough. At parties, school events, or team get-togethers, it feels burdening to ask about every ingredie

I was diagnosed with EOE (Eosinophilic Esophagitis : a chronic allergic inflammation of esophagus) at the age of 14. It was a long...