Psychosocial Aspects of Food Allergies

Introduction

Recently, there have been a couple of tragedies involving people with food allergies. My heart goes out to those families, and all involved. Even one instance of this is too many.

Parents and patients often ask:

• “How severe is my food allergy?”
• “What precautions do we need to take?”
• “Is a little bit okay?”

I can’t emphasize enough the seriousness of food allergies. I tell my patients: “With food allergy, we need to be like the military—prepare for worst case scenarios, not the most likely scenarios. Be prepared, not scared.”

The Daily Burden of Food Allergies

Food allergy families live constantly on guard to avoid the dreaded “one-time.” The reality is:

• Patients face social and physical isolation
• They are often excluded from parties and events
• Bullying, restaurant restrictions, and flight restrictions are common
• Every exposure must be evaluated and feared
• Reliable information is scarce, while misinformation, bad tests, and fake experts are widespread

All they want is treatment and a sense of normalcy.

A Parallel to the Pandemic

Think back to how the world responded to something microscopic that was potentially life-threatening.

• Precautions and paranoia skyrocketed
• Misinformation and division spread
• Opportunists capitalized regardless of validity
• The issue was politicized
• Reliable information was hard to find

That is daily life for someone with food allergies.

The Psychosocial Impact

Food allergies affect more than the physical body. In a recent study, two areas stood out as most impacted:

• Quality of life
• Anxiety

And this is true for both patients and caregivers. Pediatricians should be mindful of this and screen for anxiety while assessing quality of life in food allergy families.

My Experience in Clinical Practice

Over more than a decade of treating thousands of food allergy patients, I’ve seen the profound mental and emotional impact of food allergies.

At first, my focus was on helping patients eat foods safely. But as treatment progressed, I witnessed something unexpected and beautiful:

• Personalities emerging
• Dreams being dreamed
• Families and patients transforming as the burden lifted

It became clear that treating food allergies is not just about eating foods—it’s about helping people truly live.

More Than a Positive Test

Food allergies are not just about:

• A positive test
• Using epinephrine (though it should never be delayed in a reaction)
• Counting ER visits

Just as COVID-19 was about more than positive tests and hospitalizations, food allergies carry collateral damage. There are social, mental, emotional, physical, spiritual, and financial ramifications.

A Call for Compassion

Be mindful of those who live with life-threatening food allergies.

• Do not blame, criticize, mock, or bully them
• First, seek to understand
• Show compassion
• Ensure they see a true food allergy specialist
• Know that treatment exists—and with it comes hope, normalization, and truly living life

For more information, follow me on Instagram: @drdouglasjones

Reference

Cushman G, et al. Psychosocial functioning in pediatric food allergies: A scoping review. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2023;151:29–36.

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