| **Note: There are my personal opinions as a person who has anaphylactic allergies. I am in no way an expert, nor a medical professional.** |
I developed food allergies in my mid twenties. Food allergies are one of life’s most fearful conditions, especially for people with children who have anaphylactic allergies. I have travelled extensively from backpacking in Europe to service projects in Kenya. Travel is one of my greatest passions and I wasn’t going to let my allergies stand in my way. So, I packed my bag, researched my destination and created my own visual representation of my allergies. My low tech solution was to go to the grocery store and photograph the foods I was allergic to. I found a big NO symbol online, and laminated the photos and the symbol like a card and took it with me wherever I travelled. Now, they have amazing cards you can order in a variety of languages (see below). I feel very lucky that my boys have not developed any food allergies, but both had eczema as infants making me suspect that they unfortunately might develop allergies in their lifetime.
I’ve added some photos from my travels to showcase the variety of places I have been. Safely travelling with allergies :)
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| Cotopaxi, Ecuador |
My tips:
– take an allergy card so you have a visual representation of your allergies.
– carry more than one epi-pen with you. I prefer to take two or three Twinjet injectors with me. They have two doses in one pen and with multiple ones you can give yourself more time if you are far away from medical services
– pack snacks that you know you CAN eat. Or, stop at a grocery store once arriving at your destination so you can buy things there. When travelling with friends there is nothing worse than watching them eat food you cannot have while your stomach grumbles.
– be willing to eat a bland diet when travelling, it is an easy compromise to get to see some of the world’s most amazing sites.
– research your destination. Call ahead and make sure you understand at least some of the potential allergy challenges you might find.
– pack things that will take some of the stress our of your travels. I have an allergy to feathers so hotels (or friend’s houses for that matter) can be a challenge. I always bring my little travel pillow (it’s also a blanket) with me. It is small, compact and beats trying to sleep with a rolled sweatshirt as a pillow. Another great option is this one which I usually use while camping.
– sometimes you need to eat at McDonald’s or other familiar chains. While in the Czech Republic I had difficulty getting my allergies across and need to have one stress free, easy meal. I knew what I could eat at McDonald’s so instead of enjoying local food I caved, and had a burger and fries. Sometimes a familiar chain is the way to go.
– some of my best vacations have been on cruises. I have been amazed at how cruise lines have gone out of of their way to ensure that I can eat any type of meal or cuisine on board. They’ve even let me pack food to go ashore.
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| Dog sledding on top of Mt. Jungfrau, Switzerland in July |
Some resources:
Anaphlaxis Emergency Plan – can be used for schools, but I would recommend creating your own laminated copy and giving it to any child care program you take your son/daughter to. While food isn’t always served at these activities, it is always a good reminder to the people caring for your child. Anyone from their little league coach to the children’s program on a cruise ship or resort can benefit from this information.
Food Allergy Cards in a variety of languages can be ordered from a number of different companies. One of the commonly used is: Select Wisely
Airline Allergy Guide – airlines have been notoriously slow in dealing with issues of allergies. It still surprises me that nuts are served! But, I guess if they still allow cats and small dogs on planes anything is possible.
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| Masai Mara, Kenya |
Additional resources:
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| Berlin, Germany |
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| Lucerne, Switzerland |
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| Paris, France |
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| Mexico City |
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| Juneau, Alaska |
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| Honduras |
My sister has severe nut allergies and when she travelled to Asia (Thailand specifically) she got someone at the front desk of the hotel to write on a piece of paper for her something along the lines of “I’m allergic to peanuts. I cannot have any of my food come in contact with them. Can I eat here?”
She said this worked well for her although I think your suggestion about taking photos of the foods and putting a NO sign on it is a good suggestion too. :)
Love this post! I have an animal protein allergy and I hate travelling with it. Especially if there is a language barrier. Great suggestions and tips! Stopping by from SITS. Have a great day!
Lauren recently posted..Crave Restaurant Review
Thanks for the post and all the links. I recently found out I am gluten intolerant. I’ve not had a lot of trouble but I haven’t gone overseas. Enjoy your SITS Day.
Sheila Skillingstead recently posted..When a door is closed
I am so blessed to not have any food allergies. My mother and my best friend are not so lucky – my mom’s allergic to sage and my best friend is allergic to cinnamon. It is really hard for both of them when we go to restaurants neither of them can order anything with pumpkin or butternut squash, for example, because restaurants almost always put sage, cinnamon, or both with those items. Great tips on how to deal with it while you’re traveling!
Jennifer recently posted..Weekly Update – And Body Dysmorphic Disorder
Those photo cards sound like a great idea! Way to be proactive about your health and safety.
Rabia @ TheLiebers recently posted..20 Random Things About Me
I’m glad you’ve been able to find a work around for your allergies so you can still do what you love. Thanks for sharing.
misssrobin recently posted..The Best Thing I’ve Ever Written
Happy SITS day!
tess recently posted..A New You-Giveaway!
The photo allergy cards is such a great solution! Happy SITS Day!
Corinna recently posted..Chocolate Dipped BACON Rose Bouquet
Enjoyed this post. Allergies are scary! My husband had an allergy to Noni juice for heaven’s sake. He had to get three epi shots. The hives were awful. One of the top 10 worst experiences ever!
Tammy recently posted..Easy Creative Cooking
Good Morning,
Visiting from SITS Girls. I love your post & your pictures. Reminded me of my last vacation to Alaska. We stopped in Skagway, lots of dogs at this show we attended. I couldn’t stop sneezing ! BUT, I didn’t let that ruin my vacation. My husband & I had a fab. time ! Thanks for sharing. Have a blessed day =)
Oh my word! I am jealous of your passport stamps. Beautiful pics!
andrea recently posted..BeQuoted: Quote of the Week
Just stopping by from SITS girls. I really enjoyed reading this post. Food allergies or any type of allergies can be tough to handle. Fortunately, most of my allergies are seasonal or related to stuff like cheap jewelry. I get this from my father’s side of the family. It seems to me that you really like traveling in Europe and Latin America. I’ve always wanted to travel myself and maybe move to another country….I can always hope. Have a nice day.
Jenine recently posted..What’s New?
While I don’t have any life-threatening allergies, I do follow a low oxalate (I make kidney stones) and low-carb (I had pre-diabetes) diet, so in some ways, I can relate. Happy SITS day ;)
Jean Lynd recently posted..Hot Mama! the Balm’s Shadow/Blush Review
Great tips! And I love your pics – you’ve been to some of my favorite places! Stopping by from SITS.
yes, I found out the hard way. When I had an allergy attack it was frightening and how do say antihistamine in a foreign language. I pack mine now
Great tips! Being prepared when travelling is always important but even more so when you or a family member has allergies. I love the idea of your allergy cards. When words fail, photos and pictures are universal.
Susannah recently posted..First I Got Wet Then I Got Wild at Wild Water Kingdom
thank you for the tips i always take precautions when traveling
Travelling with allergies can be terrible. Thanks for sharing.
Crystal Porter recently posted..The Phoenix and the Bug
i love the post when i travel i always make a list for my family and if any one of them has any allergies i write them down and pack it in with my things and take it with us sometimes it’s hard to understand some of the foods in some of the countries you visit but with help from people their it’s great but with other things it’s hard i’m happy they came up with some devices to help but sometimes you have to live with it but you still get to have fun not matter what just have to watch what your eating , and touching so your allergies don’t flair up especially if you con’t have your medication with you !
I have allergies too, it sucks.
Traveling with allergies has its challenges indeed.
Thanks for the tips and resources, they are quite helpful!
Thanks for this post! Its def tricky travelling with allergies, but now I will be prapered
Great tips and SO important!! We learned just how tricky it is to travel with allergies recently when going to the states with our daughter. Great post!
Thank you so much Brandi. Yes, it is tricky and even more so when you go to countries that don’t speak English as a first language. That is where I had some real challenges.
Having read stories about people being triggered while eating out around home, I hadn’t even considered having to deal with food allergies while travelling!