I first began to develop my lactose intolerance when I was in third grade. Some of my earliest memories were ruined by it. I remember trying some of my favorite foods like pizza during lunch and not long after being hit by the cramps so hard it would make me dizzy. At first i tried to ignore it, but the pattern became too obvious to just disregard. Pizza, ice cream, milkshakes, every time they would hit me with the same cramps. Eventually I brought it up to my parents, and th

When I consume tree nuts, my throat starts swelling and I get a sore throat. Usually this problem is easily numbed by medicine like Bandedryl, but there are times where there are worser cases. One time my chest started hurting like a hammer slamming deep into my rib cage, it felt like I couldn’t breathe.

I love mangoes, and I developed this allergy to mangos when I was 7 years old. My condition is contact dermatitis, which means any time mangoes or mango juice come into contact with my skin, I swell up and develop irritation or discomfort. While I'm allergic to mangos, or more so allergic to mango touching my skin, I still eat it. I've found new and improved solutions over the years to avoiding an allergic reaction. For example, I used to eat mango with my mouth stretched as

I have pollen food syndrome (PFAS), or also called oral allergy syndrome, which is when proteins in fresh fruits, vegetables, or nut are similar to pollen, triggering symptom's like mouth ithching. The cause of this is that the immune system misidentifies proteins in certain raw foods as pollen(birch, ragweed, or grass). Some other symptoms I sometimes experience is a mild itching or swelling in the lips and throat. Some foods that may trigger this is when I eat apples, pears

Living with a red meat allergy has changed a lot of my daily life in ways most people don't notice. I can't eat foods like beef, or lamb without risking a reaction, so I always have to be careful about what I'm eating. It's not just obvious things like straight up burgers or steak, sometimes red meat products are hidden in foods like broths, sauces, or even certain snacks. Because of that, I've gotten used to checking labels and asking questions whenever I eat something I or

I have a serious food allergy to nuts and sesame seeds. This means that if I eat foods that contain them, or sometimes even foods that were made near them, I could have a dangerous allergic reaction. Because of this, I have to be very careful about what I eat every day. Living with a food allergy means I always have to check ingredients before eating anything. Sometimes foods that seem safe actually contain nuts or sesame, or they might have been made in a place where those i

Living with a peanut allergy has had a big impact on my daily life. Because peanuts are found in many different foods, I have to be very careful about what I eat, before eating anything, I usually check the ingredient labels to make sure it doesn’t contain peanuts or traces of them. Sometimes foods are made in factories where peanuts are also processed, which means there could be cross-contamination, because of this, I’ve learned to pay attention to warnings on packaging and

Living with allergies has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. I am allergic to both nuts and gluten, including almonds, pistachios, cashews, peanuts, and walnuts. Over the years I have grown used to avoiding these foods, but that doesn’t mean the feeling of missing out ever fully disappears. Sometimes I watch others freely try new foods without thinking twice, and I wish I could do the same. For me, trying something new has always carried risk. If something

I have celiac’s disease which requires me to have a 100% gluten free diet. Celiacs is an autoimmune disease and when I consume gluten my body attacks the small intestine, causing me to be strictly gluten free. Being consuming gluten causes physical problems but the gluten free diet can also cause mental ones too. The diet can lead to social isolation or feeling like a burden. I get nervous going out with friends because if we decide to eat food I have to make sure they have s

I developed an allergy to shrimp around a year ago and have been deathly allergic since. I had been eating shrimp my whole life but my immune system has gotten weak.I found out when I had a seafood boil on my birthday and when I got home I got a rash and started feeling really itchy. I thought it was a fluke so I eat shrimp again but in a smaller amount and it was worse so I went to the doctors and got a blood test which came back positive and I was prescribed an epi pen.

My name is Nylaa Smith-Dogan I am 12 years old and I have a condition called ulcerative colitis. Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) causing long-lasting inflammation and ulcers in the innermost lining of the large intestine. I was diagnosed at age 8years old at the time I was the youngest known case in West Virginia. There are several foods that I have had to give up due to my condition and the possibility of the foods worsening my condition

My name is Anna and I'm 12 years old. Something that's always been a huge part of my life is my egg allergy. My parents found out about my allergy when I was a baby, but they weren’t really concerned. My sister was allergic to soy, but grew out of it by the time she was 3, so I guess my parents thought I would too. I did not. My parents consulted a specialist and started testing me with the allergy ladder really early, but I didn’t make any progress. While my reactions weren’

My name is Cameron Benze. I am an 18 year old senior at Quince Orchard High School. I was born with tree nut allergies and this has affected my life wherever I have been in my life. I didn't have my first allergic reaction until I was about one and a half years old. I was in Ohio and had some trail mix. This caused me to throw up, and have bloodshot, itchy eyes. This raised concerns for my parents because I hadn't reacted to something before. It turns out I was allergic to th

Everytime I eat cherries my lips start to swell and itch and it also makes my stomach hurts to I first found this out when I was eating a vanilla icecream that had a cherry at the top and when I ate the cherry my lips started to swell and my mouth was very itchy at first my mom didn’t believe me when I said I was allergic to cherries to then she made me eat one and that’s when my lips swell for a second time and then she knew not to give me a cherry and on Christmas 2 years a

I have a peanut and tree nut allergy, and it’s something I’ve had to think about basically my whole life. For me, it’s not just “don’t eat peanuts.” It’s checking every label, every time, even if I’ve eaten the same snack before. Ingredients change, and I can’t risk assuming something is safe. Eating out is probably the most stressful part. I have to ask questions about cross-contamination, shared equipment, and ingredients, which can feel awkward, especially when I’m with fr

My Food Allergy Story My name is Gigi, and here is my food allergy story. Food allergies have affected me in so many ways I can remember. I was 9 months old when I was diagnosed with food allergies. I remember when I was a kid, I would get invited to multiple birthday parties. I wasn’t able to eat cake or cupcakes there, because they had eggs. I used to be allergic to eggs, peanuts, and treenuts to the point where I would break out in hives if I even ate a tiny piece of it. E

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