Hi, I’m The Allergista!

In 2010, all of a sudden I was dealing with horrible oozing rashes on my legs and arms. It
seemed to keep spreading… and spreading. Medications helped for a day or two and then I’d slide even further downhill. I ended up being diagnosed with a list of allergies (I have 24) and eczema. As opposed to taking harsh oral steroids (Prednisone) for the rest of my life, which the doctors recommended, I decided to avoid my allergens instead. It’s been QUITE the journey. Barbara has given me this super awesome opportunity to talk to you guys and I owe her a big thank you! Thanks, girl! Like all of you, I also am Allergic to Nickel. While I seem to react only through contact on my skin, my skin responds aggressively to nickel so I have to stay away.

As you all know, nickel can show up in the sneakiest places! From makeup to food to metals that don’t even look like nickel, we need to watch our step. Most people think that once you have your allergy diagnosis, the easy part is eliminating whatever allergen it is. That might be true if, for example, nickel didn’t find its way into places like nitrile gloves. Nickel chloride is used in the processing of different types of gloves, but you’d NEVER know it from looking at the box! Never mind the whole issue with ingredient labels and the fact that Hidden Ingredients are allowed. I mean, what’s that about? That’s another can of worms, for sure and you can read about that here.

So, what are we supposed to do? Just suck it up and wait for the allergic reactions to pop up? Unfortunately, in some cases that’s what we’re stuck with. But it’s what you do AFTER that allergic reaction that can make the difference. A few things have really helped me pinpoint hidden allergens. This is how I’ve done it:.

The last point is one of the most important. Pinpointing has led me to sources like counter tops and those nitrile gloves I was talking about. Both go through processes that include my allergens and research HAD to be done on my part in order to figure that out. Be curious! Don’t give up! Put on your investigator’s cap. The struggle can get tough, but keeping a positive mind can take you a long way. We all HAVE to be our own investigators and advocates to keep our health the number one priority, you know? Most people aren’t going to do it for us.

I really wish that there were strict laws around labelling the content of EVERYTHING… not just food. And actually, the laws around Ingredient Labels on food aren’t that great. I talk more about that here. Hidden ingredients are just one of the sneaky ways my allergens were messing with me and my eczema. I’ve learned a LOT in the last handful of years. In an effort to help you guys out, I sat down and thought of all the different ways my health has been secretly disrupted. I came up with nine! I organized them all into a nice little 2-page PDF which you can download by
clicking the glittery button below:

Cheers to taking control and leading a healthier life!
XOXO,
Jennifer AKA The Allergista