Monitor your Symptoms
The first thing you need to do is to monitor your symptoms. Some allergic reactions may be mild while others can be more severe. Typical food allergy symptoms may include:
- Rash, hives, or itchy skin
- Shortness of breath
- Chest pain
- Sudden drop in blood pressure, trouble swallowing or breathing - this is life-threatening. Seek immediate medical care.
- Anaphylaxis, a potentially life-threatening reaction that can simultaneously affect two or more body systems (for example, when there is both a rash and difficulty breathing)
Treat Symptoms
Mild symptoms can often be treated with antihistamines. However, if you experience severe symptoms such as difficulty breathing or a drop in blood pressure, seek immediate medical care.
Please note that if you've had a severe allergic reaction in the past, your doctor may have prescribed emergency injection of epinephrine. If so, use your epinephrine auto-injector and seek medical attention immediately.
Get Medical Help
Visit a healthcare provider to discuss the allergic reaction and potential future preventative steps. You may need an allergy test to confirm what triggered your allergic reaction.
Follow-up and Prevention
If your allergy is confirmed, your healthcare provider will provide a treatment plan. This may consist of avoiding the allergen, carrying an epinephrine auto-injector for emergencies, taking over the counter or prescribed medication, and/or starting immunotherapy.
Speak with your healthcare provider to manage and treat your allergies.
Adjust Your Diet
To avoid another allergic reaction, you need to adjust your diet to eliminate the allergen. If you're allergic to one or more of the allergens in a sandwich (Milk, Wheat, Soy, Eggs), consider trying one of their salads or wraps instead, ensuring you select ingredients that do not include your allergen(s).
In summary, it's very important to monitor potential allergic reactions, get immediate medical help if symptoms are severe, and follow-up with a healthcare provider to confirm any allergies and create an effective management plan. If you're careful and proactive, it's entirely possible to manage food allergies and still enjoy a wide variety of meals.