Family allergy tracker

People can be allergic to all sorts of things: foods, medications, bee stings, animal fur or dander, elements of nature like pollen, and products or ingredients found in personal care and cosmetic items. Reactions also may vary, triggering anything from a slight skin irritation or sniffles to full-blown, potentially fatal anaphylactic shock.

The best way to avoid allergies is to avoid the trigger. If someone in your family has an allergy, it is essential that everyone in the family be aware in order to avoid accidental exposure. Others may need to know about these allergies, too: your children's teachers and friends, your spouse's co-workers, visiting relatives, or babysitters or other caretakers who visit your home.

Taking a few moments to record the details of your family's allergies could help to prevent exposure in the first place. And in the event of accidental exposure, it is important to have certain details on hand - for instance, how to recognize symptoms of exposure, doctor's contact info, and interventions to take when exposed. You should also have a list of medications each family member is currently taking and instructions for administering them.

We have created a few quick, helpful printables you might choose to use:

• Family Allergy Record: Fill this in and post it somewhere everyone will see to remind them about the allergies in the family. You could stick it on the refrigerator to remember food allergies when cooking or set it out when you hire a babysitter.
• Allergy Tracker: These can be printed up for each member of your family who has one or multiple allergies. You could even print it up and send it to your child's school or along with them when they go to friends' homes for sleepovers.
• Spot the Alias: Outsmart tricky ingredient labels and spot alternative names of 10 common food allergens.