It can be hard enough dealing with a single food allergy but for many children and adults it does not stop there. For many people allergies can extend to a number of different foods both on the eight most common food allergies list and off that list. For some people it may seem like what they are not allergic to is a shorter list than what they are allergic to. For people such as this dealing with allergies can consume their entire life, and they may rarely feel healthy.

To make matters worse children with these allergies may be so sensitive that even accidental contact of an allergen in the food they are eating can bring on a severe reaction and with multiple foods they are allergic to it is a lot easier to happen than one might think. For a parent of a child with multiple food allergies life takes on a new urgency. Making sure the house is clean of all allergens and those that are allowed in the house need to be stored in a different place. Many families have a cupboard that is off limits to the child with allergies that stores everything they may be allergic.

For these families the biggest challenge is eating away from home, at school children will need to bring their own food and eat in a place that is separate from other children. While most school will accommodate special diets the risk of cross contamination is too great and consequence too high to risk. The same applies to eating out, the family can still eat out but many families have learned to bring their own food for those with these types of allergies not trusting restaurants to be able to create a clean environment that ensures no cross contamination from multiple foods.

For these children it is nearly impossible to completely avoid contact at all times from the foods they are allergic to so most of them carry 2 or more EpiPens with them at all times. For them their allergies often progress to anaphylaxis so this means frequent trips to the hospital to monitor them after having epinephrine administered to keep their airways from shutting down.

The families that much deal with multiple allergies must always be one step ahead of everybody else, anticipating every choice and every bit of food that is consumed. But even with that most families are determined their children will live happy childhoods that are as normal as possible.