I've been dealing with a severe shellfish allergy since I was a teenager. My first major reaction happened during a family dinner when I accidentally ate shrimp in a mixed vegetable dish. Within minutes, I felt my throat tightening, my skin got itchy, and my face started to swell up. They rushed me to the hospital, and that's when I got diagnosed with the allergy. Living in China with this allergy can be pretty tough since shellfish is everywhere in the food. Lots of dishes h

My parents always loved seafood (especially shrimp), and I used to love it too when I was younger. It was our favorite food to eat in special dates, as birthdays, Christmas, or New year’s celebrations. It was more than just food for us, it meant family connection, affection, and our love for each other. For them, it means connection to their origins, and deep connection with their culture. However, even though I always loved it, as I grew up, I started to notice that every t

I have a mild dairy allergy, and even though it’s not super serious, it still affects my everyday life in a lot of ways. I can’t eat things like milk, cheese, or ice cream without feeling sick afterward, so I always have to think about what I’m eating. When I do eat dairy by accident, my stomach usually hurts, I feel bloated, and sometimes I get a headache or feel really tired. Because of this, school lunches can be annoying since a lot of the food includes cheese or milk, li

I have heat allergy and kiwi allergy, and both affect my daily life. Heat allergy affects me the most. When I am exposed to heat, whether from hot weather, being in the sun, exercising, or even feeling stressed, my skin reacts almost immediately. My skin becomes very irritated, itchy, and I get lots of red hives all over my body. These reactions are uncomfortable and sometimes painful, and they can make it difficult for me to concentrate at school, work, or during daily activ

I have a life threatening food allergies to both milk and sesame. I was diagnosed with these allergies when I was six months old. They still largely affect me today but I don’t let my allergies define me. I carry epi pens and Auvi Q’s wherever I go, so I can be safe. Unfortunately, I have had to use my epi pen twice as I had an allergic reaction at an Italian restaurant while eating pasta because there was actually cheese in it, and I had to use it while on vacation in Florid

Ever since I was little I always really liked milk. I had a tall glass of milk with dinner every single night, when I got school lunch I always got the chocolate kind. It all began to shift for me when I began getting constant acid reflux starting around 2nd grade. I had an undiagnosed anxiety disorder at the time, which centered around the intense fear of vomiting I developed after a stomach flu outbreak at my school. Whenever I had a glass of milk, my stomach felt strange,

Date: Saturday, October 14th Time: 9:30 PM Having an allergy is easy, but also frustrating for me to live with. That’s just me, though, how though? Well, let me try to recall “frustrating” moments, though it doesn’t seem like too much effort. One of these frustrating times for me was when I was going to a restaurant with my cousins and our parents. As soon as we walked in, the smell hit me—that scent of scrambling eggs. My throat tightens reflexively. Usually, I don’t have ai

I was told by my doctor that I have a peanut allergy this happened a few years ago on a visit, I wasn’t born with it, and it developed over the years. Before that, food was just food, I didn’t have any restrictions. Once, I was told about my allergy I had to become very aware of every snack and sweet I ate. I had a few almost accidents when I ate sweets that might contain peanuts. Once at a birthday party I was excited and had a lot of sweets, one must’ve had peanuts because

Many years ago, when I was a baby, I was fed a food with my allergen in it and I experienced an anaphylactic reaction, and that's how we discovered my allergy. Growing up, it was difficult dealing with my allergy because It was very serious. It was also quite hard having to watch my friends and family eat the foods I couldn't eat. But one day i got offered the opportunity to do this process called OIT (oral immunotherapy), where you essentially get exposed to your allergen i

Hi! My name is Saisha, and its been almost a year since my first major allergic reaction. My allergy has always been complicated. I'd throw up and develop little rashes that weaved up my face when I was younger, but it never felt like a problem. Often, when I tried to talk about it, people would discredit me. "It's just lactose intolerance". And sure, while I don't need an epi pen, or fear for my life, it doesn't make my experience any less valid. I'm still allergic, and when

I have a peanut allergy, and it affects my life every single day in ways that other people might not always notice. I always have to be careful about what I eat because even a small amount of peanuts can make me really sick. When I was younger, I had a reaction after eating a cookie that had peanut butter in it without me knowing. My throat started to feel tight, my skin began itching, and I broke out in hives all over my arms. It was really scary, and I had to go to the hosp

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...