For someone living with food allergies, reactions to an allergen trigger can range from mild to fatal. In addition to the medical side of living with food allergies, there are also significant financial, psychological and social impacts as well.

Financial

The economic burden of food allergies is intense. The care for a person with a food allergy can cost over $4,000 per year. There are direct medical expenses like doctor visits, emergency room visits, and medications. A person with a food allergy may require frequent visits to specialists which can cost hundreds of dollars per visit. Avoiding food allergens can significantly increase a household food budget through the added costs of specialized foods or special food preparation time and effort. One example is those living with Celiac disease (who must eat a strict gluten-free diet)… gluten-free products are 183% more expensive than their gluten-containing counterparts. Consider that a loaf of gluten-free bread can cost $7 and that loaf is about half the size of a regular loaf of bread. Food allergies may also have indirect costs such as missed work or job loss for taking necessary time off for illness or care.

Mental Health

Living with a food allergy affects your psychological well-being, increasing anxiety, isolation and fear of reaction. Parents and caregivers of those with food allergies can experience increased stress and worry, and develop a sense of hyper-vigilance from constantly having to protect their child from an allergic reaction. To get a sense of this hypervigilance, I reached out to fellow Family and Consumer Sciences OSU Extension Educator, Ken Stewart, who lives with food allergies: “I am constantly checking labels. It’s better now than it used to be because most major allergens are listed on ingredients separately. I see recipes, check the ingredients, and often just don’t continue because I don’t feel like trying to figure out substitutions. There is often peril at potluck dinners. One minute you are eating a sub for lunch and an hour later you’re in the Emergency Room.”

Social

Living with a food allergy affects your social life. Consider classroom parties, birthday parties and other social events where food is often the center of focus. Ken Stewart adds, “I used to avoid other kids’ birthday parties, so I didn’t have to explain why I didn’t want any birthday cake.” Many times, social gatherings happen at restaurants. “Eating out is stressful, especially at a new restaurant,” states Stewart. Those living with food allergies must plan ahead to be sure there will be food safe for them to eat, or plan to bring their own. This is particularly isolating for children, who may feel left out of celebrations as well as normal activities.

For those living with food allergies, every bite counts.

For more information, check out the Food Allergy Research and Education website.

Writer: Shannon Carter, Extension Educator, Family and Consumer Sciences, Ohio State University Extension, Fairfield County, carter.413@osu.edu

Reviewer: Sofia Carter, Extension Educator, Family and Consumer Sciences, Ohio State University Extension, Champaign County, carter.@osu.edu

Contributor: Ken Stewart, Extension Educator, Family and Consumer Sciences, Ohio State University Extension, Monroe County, stewart.1982@osu.edu