Valentine's Day Special - 5 Tips for Dating Safely with Food Allergy
Did you know that a kiss can trigger an allergic reaction?
Food does not need to be consumed to trigger an allergic reaction. Touching an allergen food and kissing or touching someone who has recently eaten an allergen can be enough to cause an allergic reaction.
A kiss on the cheek can be enough to trigger a contact reaction such as skin irritation, itching and circulatory problems. A kiss on the mouth can provoke more severe reactions and even anaphylaxis. (1, 2)
Food allergens remain in saliva for several hours after eating. Brushing your teeth before kissing doesn't always work, especially if the person with allergies is sensitive to the presence of traces of the allergen. (2, 3)
5 Tips for Dating Safely with Food Allergy:
1. Talk about food allergy - Explain the precautions to be taken, foods to avoid, how to identify symptoms and how to act if a reaction occurs. It is important that your partner understands and respects your food allergies.
2. Avoiding the Allergen - Many partners choose to avoid foods that cause allergies when they are together. Others choose to completely eliminate the allergen from their diet. You should avoid the allergen in question 24 hours before kissing (just brushing your teeth doesn't always work!).
3. Ask what you ate - Ask your partner what they ate before kissing. When in doubt, don't kiss.
4. Be prepared to act - Keep your emergency medication with you at all times, even if you don't plan on eating.
5. Cooking together – It's a bonding and sharing activity and a way to ensure the safety of the food you both consume. (2.4)
Fidu's products are made with allergy sufferers and those closest to them in mind, and who choose to avoid allergens to keep those they love most safe. That's why we want our products to be alternatives that are more similar to traditional ones, so that no one has to give up sweet moments of sharing.
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1. Steensma DP. (2003) The kiss of death: a severe allergic reaction to a shellfish induced by a good-night kiss. Mayo Clinic Proceedings, 78(2):221-222.
2. ECARF (2018). Food Allergies: What You Need to Know About Kissing. Available at: https://www.ecarf.org/en/nahrungsmittelallergie-was-ist-beim-kuessen-zu-beachten/
3. Eriksson NE, Möller C, Werner S, Magnusson J, Bengtsson U. (2003) The hazards of kissing when you are food allergic. A survey on the occurrence of kiss-induced allergic reactions among 1139 patients with self-reported food hypersensitivity. Journal of Investigational Allergology & Clinical Immunology, 13(3):149-154.
4. FARE (2020). Top Tips for Dating with Food Allergies from FARE Teen Advisory Group. Available at https://www.foodallergy.org/resources/relationships-and-dating
Food does not need to be consumed to trigger an allergic reaction. Touching an allergen food and kissing or touching someone who has recently eaten an allergen can be enough to cause an allergic reaction.
A kiss on the cheek can be enough to trigger a contact reaction such as skin irritation, itching and circulatory problems. A kiss on the mouth can provoke more severe reactions and even anaphylaxis. (1, 2)
Food allergens remain in saliva for several hours after eating. Brushing your teeth before kissing doesn't always work, especially if the person with allergies is sensitive to the presence of traces of the allergen. (2, 3)
5 Tips for Dating Safely with Food Allergy:
1. Talk about food allergy - Explain the precautions to be taken, foods to avoid, how to identify symptoms and how to act if a reaction occurs. It is important that your partner understands and respects your food allergies.
2. Avoiding the Allergen - Many partners choose to avoid foods that cause allergies when they are together. Others choose to completely eliminate the allergen from their diet. You should avoid the allergen in question 24 hours before kissing (just brushing your teeth doesn't always work!).
3. Ask what you ate - Ask your partner what they ate before kissing. When in doubt, don't kiss.
4. Be prepared to act - Keep your emergency medication with you at all times, even if you don't plan on eating.
5. Cooking together – It's a bonding and sharing activity and a way to ensure the safety of the food you both consume. (2.4)
Fidu's products are made with allergy sufferers and those closest to them in mind, and who choose to avoid allergens to keep those they love most safe. That's why we want our products to be alternatives that are more similar to traditional ones, so that no one has to give up sweet moments of sharing.
---
1. Steensma DP. (2003) The kiss of death: a severe allergic reaction to a shellfish induced by a good-night kiss. Mayo Clinic Proceedings, 78(2):221-222.
2. ECARF (2018). Food Allergies: What You Need to Know About Kissing. Available at: https://www.ecarf.org/en/nahrungsmittelallergie-was-ist-beim-kuessen-zu-beachten/
3. Eriksson NE, Möller C, Werner S, Magnusson J, Bengtsson U. (2003) The hazards of kissing when you are food allergic. A survey on the occurrence of kiss-induced allergic reactions among 1139 patients with self-reported food hypersensitivity. Journal of Investigational Allergology & Clinical Immunology, 13(3):149-154.
4. FARE (2020). Top Tips for Dating with Food Allergies from FARE Teen Advisory Group. Available at https://www.foodallergy.org/resources/relationships-and-dating
