We thank Blueprint Medicines for their sponsorship of this blog post to help us share information for people managing systemic mastocytosis (SM). This is a sponsored post and is not an endorsement of any company or its products, nor is it a guarantee of any product's safety. The funding we received for this advertisement helps support our free asthma and allergy programs. Systemic mastocytosis (SM) affects nearly 32,000 people in the United States. People with SM have too many abnormal mast...

Updates as of July 26, 2022: We have updated this blog post to reflect the most recent recommendations from the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). As more information becomes available, we will continue to update our community. The COVID-19 vaccine is an important part of reducing the spread of the coronavirus , ending the pandemic, and protecting ourselves and other people. It can reduce your chance of severe COVID-19,...

Traveling by car when a family member has food allergies can be a success with careful planning. Once you make your vacation plans, you can have a lot of fun and stay safe on the road. Here are eight tips to get you started when you’re planning your next road trip. 1. Plan your meals before you leave home. Planning your meals ahead of time can save you a lot of stress in the long run. Make a list of heat-and-serve or ready-to-eat snacks or meals you can eat on the road. Also, look at your...

Teaching your child about food allergies is an important part of keeping them safe. Children can start to learn about food allergies at a young age. This knowledge will give them confidence with self-managing their food allergies as they get older. Here are some resources created just for kids to help them learn more about food allergies. The links below include books, videos, games, music, and classroom resources. 1. Ally and Andy’s Activity Book This coloring and activity book from the...

On this final Friday of National Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month , the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) and Kids With Food Allergies (KFA) , our food allergy division, are holding a Remembrance Day in honor of family members and loved ones who’ve died from asthma or allergies. We also take time to remember others who have needlessly been lost to preventable deaths. On average, more than 4,100 Americans die from asthma each year. 1 A few hundred more die each year because of...

Warmer weather is here and that means outdoor picnics and barbecues. By preparing ahead of time, you can reduce your stress and avoid allergic reactions. Here are some ways to keep your child safe at gatherings. 1. Bring the Epinephrine This is the most important part of preparing for an outing. Keep your child’s epinephrine auto-injectors with you at all times. Make sure you know how to give your child epinephrine correctly in case of an allergic reaction. Remember to protect epinephrine...

Dr. John James, a board-certified allergist, answers some common questions people have about food allergies, anaphylaxis, and epinephrine. Question: My child has food allergies. How can I tell if they are having a severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis)? Dr: James: Anaphylaxis [anna-fih-LACK-sis] is a serious allergic reaction that happens fast and can be life-threatening. Signs and symptoms usually start within 5 to 30 minutes after exposure to the relevant food allergen (such as, but not...

May 8-14, 2022, is Food Allergy Awareness Week . This time each year, the food allergy community comes together to raise awareness. This year, we’re working to help people with food allergies increase their confidence in using epinephrine auto-injectors. Food Allergy Awareness Week starts on Mother’s Day. Kids With Food Allergies (KFA) recognizes the diligence that goes into managing food allergies. Label reading, cooking safe foods, doctor’s appointments, and working with schools on care...

Many children with food allergies also have asthma . Black, Hispanic, and Indigenous Americans carry the heaviest burden of asthma. Reducing this burden is a key mission of the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) . On May 3, 2022 – World Asthma Day – AAFA launched the Health Equity Advancement and Leadership (HEAL) program . The purpose of HEAL is to address findings from AAFA’s Asthma Disparities in America report. The HEAL program reinforces AAFA’s commitment to drastically...

Even though about 5.6 million children and 26 million adults have food allergies, many people still don’t understand what it’s like to live with them. The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) has declared May to be “ National Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month .” All month long, we will be raising awareness about asthma, allergies, and food allergies. (Kids With Food Allergies is the food allergy division of AAFA.) Food Allergy Awareness Week is also May 8-14. That week, our focus...

We thank Enjoy Life Foods for their sponsorship of this blog post to help parents manage their child’s food allergies. This is a sponsored post and is not an endorsement of any company or its products, nor is it a guarantee of the products’ safety. The funding we received for this advertisement helps support our free food allergy programs. Around the U.S., school days are winding down! And for parents of children with food allergies, now is the time to start preparing for the next school...

May is Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month, and the week of May 8-14 is the dedicated Food Allergy Awareness Week. So now is the time to get ready to spread food allergy awareness! We've asked President Biden to officially declare May to be National Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month again. Raising public awareness about food allergies is important to help keep people with food allergies safe and healthy. You can start preparing for Food Allergy Awareness Week now by ordering items from our...

Passover is a holiday that is rich with meaning and filled with traditions, many of which involve food. If you are managing food allergies, this list can help you find new ways to keep those traditions while keeping your child with food allergies safe and included. Fulfilling the Passover Traditions Consult Your Experts We understand that in Jewish law, avoiding risk to life is very important. If you have concerns about whether a tradition or food is safe for your child, talk with your...

For a child with food allergies or asthma, having life-saving medicine is critical in an emergency when every second counts. A medicine bag is great way to keep your child’s medicines together, protected, and easy to find. For younger children, you can use a bag to keep medicines together in a diaper bag or to give to a teacher or babysitter. If your child is ready to self-carry their medicines, they can use these bags to carry them in their book bags or grab them for recess, lunchtime,...

Many children with food allergies have other allergic diseases – like asthma, eczema, and nasal allergies (allergic rhinitis) . If your child sniffles and sneezes more with the changing seasons, pollen allergies could be the cause. Allergic sensitivity to airborne pollen from trees, grasses, or weeds can cause allergy symptoms. The reason many children have related allergic conditions is because of the "allergic march" or “atopic march.” It often starts with dry skin, which may lead to...

Epinephrine is a life-saving medicine used to treat a severe allergic reaction called anaphylaxis [anna-fih-LACK-sis] . People with food allergies need to carry epinephrine with them at all times. If you or your child have food allergies, your doctor will probably write a prescription for an epinephrine device. Your doctor will prescribe an epinephrine auto-injector that is easy to use. There are several types of epinephrine devices available. Each device has its own unique set of...

Update: CME Program for Health Care Professionals Are you a health care professional who is interested in learning more about EoE? Learn about a free CME program on EoE below. Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) is an allergic condition that causes swelling in your esophagus (swallowing tube). EoE happens when a large number of white blood cells called eosinophils collect and cause damage in the lining of the esophagus. It is often an immune response to food, but in some cases, environmental...

On Feb. 25, 2022, the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) and the Elijah-Alavi Foundation (EAF) released the “Child Care Policies for Food Allergy: Elijah’s Law Report for the U.S. States and Territories.” Kids With Food Allergies (KFA) is the food allergy division of AAFA. Our report looks at state and U.S. territory child care licensing regulations against nine policy standards. The standards aim to protect children with food allergies in child care settings. The report also...

All parents have questions when they send their child off to school for the first time, or to a new school. Will my child like her school and teacher? Will he get on the right school bus? Will it be a positive environment? As a parent of a child with food allergies, you also wonder about your child’s health needs and safety. What will they eat? How will they be able to safely take part in school activities? What if they have a food allergy reaction at school? Questions like these are normal...

If you suspect your child had an allergic reaction to a mislabeled food, you can report it. By doing so, you can help play an important role in public health. Here’s what you need to do: 1. Always treat the reaction first and seek emergency care for your child . If your child already has a food allergy, follow the emergency action plan given to you by your child’s allergist. Remember to take all allergic symptoms seriously. Both mild and severe symptoms can lead to a serious allergic...