Traveling with food allergies? These 9 tips can facilitate you keep you safer in the sky

When approaching school holidays, many families will travel, including inter -stanker and foreign aircraft. But travel can be unique challenges for people with grave food allergies.

Studies show that air travel is a significant source of anxiety for people living or caring for food allergies. IN Global examination Out of 4,704 people with food allergy and their guardians published in 2024. 98% said that he has food allergies Adds anxiety to air travel.

Fortunately, there are things that you can do to ensure yourself or children with food allergies in the sky.

What are the concerns about the travel of the aircraft with allergies?

Making up, documented allergic reactions during flights are very occasional. AND 2023 review This combined data from 17 research was estimated about seven out of 10 million passengers had an allergic reaction while flying.

While many people have more delicate food allergies, some are threatened anaphylaxis (life -threatening allergic reaction) and must wear adrenaline with them all the time in the form of eppenters or anapen. The review showed that reports of severe reactions requiring adrenaline were even rarer – about eight cases per 100 million passengers.

In fact, this study showed that people less often experience an allergic reaction on a plane than in their daily lives. However, some of them may result from precautions that passengers with food allergies already take.

People with food allergies sometimes worry about food particles traveling in the air of a flat cabin and cause a reaction.

Luckily, tests showed that the risk is very low. It is challenging to become food protein in the air (part of the food that causes an allergic reaction). And if so, air filters mounted on gigantic commercial aircraft can quickly remove all food particles in the air with cabin air.

Earth peanuts are one of the foods commonly associated with anaphylaxis. Research that tested opening and shaking containers containing peanuts and deforming peanuts found nut proteins were detected only above the container, at a low level and for Short period.

Other studies have shown that air nuts were not detected when eating peanuts in narrowness. And studies did not show weighty reactions among people with an allergy to peanuts when Peanut butter Or peanuts They stayed close to their faces or kept in a bowl near a tiny room.

A greater risk of reaction is food protein ending with a seat or table with a tray. However, accidental contact with crumbs to eat or blur highly unlikely cause a severe allergic reaction. This type of contact can cause delicate and moderate skin reactions that can be treated with antihistamines if necessary.

Maintaining safety in a plane with allergies

For people at risk of anaphylaxis:

1. Take adrenaline to hand luggage (not checked baggage). Store it under the seat in front of you or in the seat pocket to make it uncomplicated

2. to wear Itinerary and an anaphylaxis action plan, completed and signed by a doctor or similar documentation, showing the status of food allergy and what to do in sudden cases. (Templates of these plans are available via Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy)

3. Tell the aviation team that you are allergic and indicate the location of the adrenaline and anaphylaxis action plan. This is especially significant for people traveling alone, because anaphylaxis can be mistaken for other non -allergic symptoms, which can lead to a delay in taking adrenaline.

For people with food allergies in general:

1. Tell the airline that you have food allergy and ask about their food and medicine rules during booking or before traveling

2. Take safe and sound food from home from home. Airlines do not guarantee that food safe and sound for allergies will be available, and not all food supplied on the aircraft will have an ingredient label (but check liquid restrictions and remember about potential restrictions on taking fresh food above the boundaries)

3. When covering the deck on board on board the surface, such as seat, armrests and a table to a tray with damp cloths. You can ask for early boarding from the airlines

4. Wash your hands before eating (damp handkerchiefs and washing your hands are soap more effective than ordinary water or rain hands)

5. You can sit a child with food allergy away from areas where food or drink will be donated upstairs (for example, next to the window or between family members). Tell the passengers sitting next to the child about their allergies so as not to offer food or drink sharing

6. If you think you are experiencing an allergic reaction, inform the aviation team immediately.

What can other passengers and airlines do?

If you travel, you can wipe the surfaces around you at the end of the flight. Before descending and passing, remove the garbage from the bands and other areas around the seat and passage.

Also ask about the allergies before offering sharing food with your neighbors during the flight (and contact your parents before offering anything to your children).

Meanwhile, airlines should have clear rules regarding uncomplicated accessible and consistent rules regarding food allergies and consistently used by ground staff and on -board staff, such as enabling early access.

Organization of patient support allergy and anaphylaxia Australia has Food allergy travel center With advice on how to keep safety while traveling with food allergies.