Reino - Food allergies: the ultimate teen guide

It Happened to Me

Series Editor: Arlene Hirschfelder

Books in the It Happened to Me series are designed for inquisitive teens digging for answers about certain illnesses, social issues, or lifestyle interests. Whether you are deep into your teen years or just entering them, these books are gold mines of up-to-date information, riveting teen views, and great visuals to help you figure out stuff. Besides special boxes highlighting singular facts, each book is enhanced with the latest reading lists, websites, and an index. Perfect for browsing, there are loads of expert information by acclaimed writers to help parents, guardians, and librarians understand teen illness, tough situations, and lifestyle choices.

1. Epilepsy: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Kathlyn Gay and Sean McGarrahan, 2002.
2. Stress Relief: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Mark Powell, 2002.
3. Learning Disabilities: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Penny Hutchins Paquette and Cheryl Gerson Tuttle, 2003.
4. Making Sexual Decisions: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by L. Kris Gowen, 2003.
5. Asthma: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Penny Hutchins Paquette, 2003.
6. Cultural DiversityConflicts and Challenges: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Kathlyn Gay, 2003.
7. Diabetes: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Katherine J. Moran, 2004.
8. When Will I Stop Hurting? Teens, Loss, and Grief: The Ultimate Teen Guide to Dealing with Grief, by Ed Myers, 2004.
9. Volunteering: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Kathlyn Gay, 2004.
10. Organ TransplantsA Survival Guide for the Entire Family: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Tina P. Schwartz, 2005.
11. Medications: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Cheryl Gerson Tuttle, 2005.
12. Image and IdentityBecoming the Person You Are: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by L. Kris Gowen and Molly C. McKenna, 2005.
13. Apprenticeship: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Penny Hutchins Paquette, 2005.
14. Cystic Fibrosis: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Melanie Ann Apel, 2006.
15. Religion and Spirituality in America: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Kathlyn Gay, 2006.
16. Gender Identity: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Cynthia L. Winfield, 2007.
17. Physical Disabilities: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Denise Thornton, 2007.
18. MoneyGetting It, Using It, and Avoiding the Traps: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Robin F. Brancato, 2007.
19. Self-Advocacy: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Cheryl Gerson Tuttle and JoAnn Augeri Silva, 2007.
20. Adopted: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Suzanne Buckingham Slade, 2007.
21. The Military and Teens: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Kathlyn Gay, 2008.
22. Animals and Teens: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Gail Green, 2009.
23. Reaching Your Goals: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Anne Courtright, 2009.
24. Juvenile Arthritis: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Kelly Rouba, 2009.
25. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Natalie Rompella, 2009.
26. Body Image and Appearance: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Kathlyn Gay, 2009.
27. Writing and Publishing: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Tina P. Schwartz, 2010.
28. Food Choices: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Robin F. Brancato, 2010.
29. Immigration: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Tatyana Kleyn, 2011.
30. Living with Cancer: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Denise Thornton, 2011.
31. Living Green: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Kathlyn Gay, 2012.
32. Social Networking: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Jenna Obee, 2012.
33. Sports: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Gail Fay, 2013.
34. Adopted: The Ultimate Teen Guide, Revised Edition, by Suzanne Buckingham Slade, 2013.
35. Bigotry and Intolerance: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Kathlyn Gay, 2013.
36. Substance Abuse: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Sheri Bestor, 2013.
37. LGBTQ Families: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Eva Apelqvist, 2013.
38. Bullying: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Mathangi Subramanian, 2014.
39. Eating Disorders: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Jessica R. Greene, 2014.
40. Speech and Language Challenges: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Marlene Targ Brill, 2014.
41. Divorce: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Kathlyn Gay, 2014.
42. Depression: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Tina P. Schwartz, 2014.
43. Creativity: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Aryna Ryan, 2015.
44. Shyness: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Bernardo J. Carducci, Ph.D, and Lisa Kaiser, 2015.
45. Food Allergies: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Jessica Reino, 2015.

Food Allergies

The Ultimate Teen Guide

Jessica Reino

It Happened to Me, No. 45

ROWMAN & LITTLEFIELD

Lanham Boulder New York London

Published by Rowman & Littlefield

A wholly owned subsidiary of The Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group, Inc.

4501 Forbes Boulevard, Suite 200, Lanham, Maryland 20706

www.rowman.com

Unit A, Whitacre Mews, 26-34 Stannary Street, London SE11 4AB

Copyright 2015 by Rowman & Littlefield

All rights reserved . No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote passages in a review.

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Information Available

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Reino, Jessica, 1982

Food allergies : the ultimate teen guide / Jessica Reino.

pages cm. (It happened to me ; no. 45)

Includes bibliographical references.

ISBN 978-1-4422-3573-1 (hardback : alk. paper) ISBN 978-1-4422-3574-8 (ebook) 1. Food allergyJuvenile literature. 2. TeenagersHealth and hygieneJuvenile literature. I. Title.

RC596.R44 2015

616.9700835dc23

2014049727

The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of American National Standard for Information SciencesPermanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992.

Printed in the United States of America

To my family,

especially my husband, Kevin, and my children, Richard and Nicholas.

They inspire me every day, and it is because of them that

I am able to live a fulfilling life with food allergies.

Also to all those suffering from food allergies.

I hope that they, too, will not let their food allergies stop them from

being their best selves and living life to the fullest.

Contents

Acknowledgments

I am so fortunate that I was given the opportunity to write this book and I could not have done so without the assistance and support of many people. I first would like to thank my family. To my husband, Kevin, thank you for supporting me through my journey with food allergies and everything else that comes our way. To my parents, sister, and brother, I would not be where I am today without you. Thank you for everything. To my mother-in-law, father-in-law, and sister-in-law, thank you for all of your support. To my friends, thank you for always being there for me, especially being in my corner when it comes to advocating for me and raising food allergy awareness.

To Dr. David Stukus, Sloane Miller, and Kristin Beltaos, a special thank you for allowing me to interview you for this book and for sharing your knowledge with others in the food allergy community on a daily basis. Your work is greatly appreciated!

Thank you to all of those at Food Allergy Research & Education, the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Connection Team, and the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America New England Chapter for speaking to me about this project and for all the education, awareness, and support you provide for the food allergy community.

A big thank you to all of those teenagers and their families I interviewed for this book. I truly appreciate you taking the time to share your personal stories, and I hope you find this book informative and helpful.