Allergy & Eos Resources

While there are many websites available for those with allergies and eosinophilic disorders, I have found that just a few sites are all that I need to answer almost any question that I choose to ponder.  If the answer is not easily found among the information provided by these websites, then I will almost certainly end up posing the question to the appropriate member of our medical team.


As always, please keep in mind that I am not a medical professional.  I am just a mom and a patient sharing info that I have found to be helpful.  Be sure to speak with a licensed medical professional before making any changes to your medical treatment plan, including dietary changes intended to treat a medical condition.

FARE (formerly known separately as FAAN and FAI) is a great resource for those dealing with food allergies.  I used this website frequently in the first few months after Overachiever #1 was diagnosed with multiple life threatening food allergies.  Their Education and Allergen pages were particularly helpful at that stage in the game.  Now that my kids are school-aged, I find the Advocacy pages particularly helpful.

AllergyHome.org is a newer site with content that has been created by a pediatric allergist and a pediatric psychologist.  I like that they build in developmentally appropriate ways for allergic kids to self-manage and advocate while also addressing the anxiety that is completely normal for us (kids and parents alike!) experience.

APFED is a great resource for those who are dealing with eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) or other eosinophil-associated diseases.  Their Learn About Eos page is a good place to start if you are just learning. They also have an online community on Inspire.

Kids With Food Allergies has educational pages with practical tips for managing food allergies at home.  They have an online support group for those with food allergies, including space for those dealing with EoE and other EGIDs.

AAAAI is a professional organization with educational pages available for patients.  The site also has links to help you find your local pollen counts and information on the latest research.

Just as the safety of two very similar products (ex: chocolate cake mix) can vary from one manufacturer to the next, so is the case for generic medications such as omeprazole which is commonly used for acid reflux.  DailyMed is a database provided by the NIH which I find particularly helpful when reviewing ingredients for prescription medications.  (Some over the counter medications are also listed.)  This tool allows me to view package inserts when new medications are prescribed to determine whether there are food allergens included as inactive ingredients.  Once you have identified the safe version(s) of a medication using this tool, you can ask your pharmacist to special order that particular version of the drug just as you can ask your grocer to special order safe foods.  All you will need is the NDC number which is typically found at the bottom of the DailyMed entry.  As with food products, remember to check every label every time.  That includes pulling out the package insert to recheck the ingredients before you leave the pharmacy!

What if you don't recognize a really long word in the ingredient list?  The FDA's Code of Regulations Title 21 can sometimes be helpful, although this one is pretty heavy reading.  For chemicals, Google is your friend!  Just type "How is xxxxx made?" into Google's search box.  Replace xxxxx with the chemical name, of course!

Jazzy Allergy Recipes has recipes that are free of eggs, nuts and dairy.  We're talking seriously good stuff, even if you don't have a medical reason to avoid those foods.

I love the way that Girl On a Mission lays out the importance of addressing food allergies at school.  Generally speaking, I agree with her overall approach to developing accommodations.

In the interest of full disclosure, I will say that I was at one time a member of FAAN.  I am currently a member of APFED.  I have never been an administrator or on the payroll for either organization.