Food Allergy Counseling: Myths & Facts About Food Allergy & Valentine’s Day: Mylan Specialty

Mylan Specialty, marketers and distributers of EpiPen® (epinephrine) Auto-Injector, gathered some fun stats about VDay and food allergies and put it together in the below graphic. Feel free to visit AnaphylaxisRevealed.com for more information about severe allergies and anaphylaxis.

For me, the most interesting and pertinent myth from Mylan Specialty is the below:

Myth or Fact: You can experience a life-threatening allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) from a kiss

Fact! It is possible to experience a life-threatening allergic reaction if you kiss someone who has eaten something to which you are allergic. Your best bet is to ask your loved one to stay away from your allergens before you pucker up.

This is the one that you have to explain to your potential kisser (or is it kiss-y?) and therein lies the trick. I’ve talked about kissing and food allergies often. Like here. And here. And here. 

In my next post, I’ll explore how to I accomplished that conversation most recently. 

For a deeper exploration, see my best selling lifestyle guide, Allergic Girl: Adventures in Living Well with Food Allergies (Wiley, 2011)