Food Allergy Awareness 

One thing people rarely talk about are allergies. In a country like Nigeria, allergies are barely mentioned, not to talk of food allergies. If you tell certain people you have food allergies, they might tease you about it for a long time, and that isn’t unusual.

What is food allergy and how does it happen?

Food allergies happens when the immune system mistakenly identifies a specific food protein as harmful and triggers an immune response. The response can range from mild symptoms like itching and hives to severe reactions such as difficulty breathing and anaphylaxis. People’s common food allergens include peanuts, tree nuts, shellfish, eggs, milk, soy, and wheat.

How to manage food allergy?

Sometimes, even when you are careful, things could still go wrong. It could be the restaurant’s mistakes, or the cooking materials used, so always carry emergency medication, like your epinephrine auto-injectors as prescribed by your healthcare provider, and know how to use them in an emergency or tell whoever is with you ahead of time.

Now, I did mention earlier that most Nigerians would almost not believe you if you say you have allergies, hence you barely see or hear people talk about it. However, I decided to share some food allergies story with you in honor of this holiday and acknowledgement of those dealing with it, to encourage them even though it might be a crazy thing to manage.

Names have been changed for identity protection

Tade

I found out about my allergy ten years ago.

How do people react?

It is annoying how nobody believes you have food allergy. Anyways, I am allergic to bread, anything made with wheat flour, eggs, coconuts, full cream milk, etc. So what’s even left for me to eat? Almost nothing.

How do you manage?

When I eat these things, I automatically have a stuffy nose, so hot chocolate drinks helps except for full cream, I go through the pain. That’s my life and story.

Gbenga

I did a blood test to confirm my allergy. I have always been allergic to pork. I discovered my allergy to shellfish in 2015, my allergy for avocado was discovered in 2018.

How do people react?

When I tell people, they say I have rich peoples problem, eii.

How do you manage?

I manage my food allergy by just not eating any of my allergens. I try not eating from kitchens that cross contaminate. I always say my meal preference is Kosher. My body has really grown sensitive. I always mention (repeatedly) my allergies at restaurants.

One time my allergy went south:

One time my allergy went south was when I had avocado. To me, avocado is strange, I ate a lot of it growing up, I would add some salt and just eat it but my lip would always swell. I just thought it was in my mind. I realised I would itch and my throat would become tight after eating it, again, I thought it was just in my mind. So I would have an antihistamine before and after eating it. Hahahaha – it work for like 6 weeks, then one day after eating it in this manner I was nearly rushed to hospital. My body just rejected it.

Peace

For me, I don’t eat cocoyam or the leaf. I’ve always known about this allergy because my mum warned me and my siblings growing up. My dad has a very serious allergy to cocoyam so she figured we most likely did as well. I confirmed mine about 9 years ago.

How do you manage?

I manage it by not cooking with cocoyam and I always ask what thickener is used in soups when I eat out, as well as what vegetables they were cooked with.

How do people react?

Although I rarely talk about it but when I do, it’s been met with compassion and understanding. People also tend to share their own food allergy experiences with me.

One time my allergy went south:

My dad is severely allergic to cocoyam and its leaves so growing up we never cooked with it and I stayed firmly away from food outside my home that contained cocoyam or its leaves. I confirmed it though when at a friend’s house I tried some traditional Ghanaian food I didn’t know contained it and my throat immediately started to itch and close up. My lips also started to swell. Luckily she had some antihistamines at home and I got relief asap.

It would be weird to say Happy Food Allergy Awareness Week (lol). But glad to have been able to inform you (yes) of the fact that food allergy exists and it’s not weird to have them. If you ever see anyone react openly while eating, kindly recommend antihistamines. I really think every restaurant should have epi-pens or antihistamines.

Have you learnt? Let me know in the comments. Share this with someone that might needs it.

Remember to subscribe to our newsletter here and subscribe to the YouTube channel and banter with me on Twitter and TikTok , Threads and  Instagram