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"  I used to LOVE sushi. It was my favorite food \u2014 I ate it at least three times a week. I was obsessed! And then one day, I had to give it up, forever. Whenever I&amp;#039;d eat tuna, my mouth would get itchy, but I&amp;#039;d just ignore it. That all changed one night while I was on vacation in Spain with my family \u2014 I got tuna steak for dinner, and after finishing up my meal, I could barely breathe. I felt like my throat was closing up and I got all puffy \u2014 I looked JUST like Will Smith in the movie Hitch. Luckily, my dad is a doctor, so he gave me Benadryl (an allergy pill) and monitored my breathing, and I was okay. As soon as I came home to the States, I went straight to the allergist and got a blood test, and found out what I suspected: I&amp;#039;m severely allergic to tuna (as well as other fish like tilapia and swordfish). My doctor told me I was lucky I didn&amp;#039;t die. Now I have to carry an Epi-Pen with me at all times (a self-injectible device that dispenses epinephrine \u2014 adrenaline), just in case I ever accidentally eat any tuna (you&amp;#039;d be surprised at how many restaurants put it in random dishes). I&amp;#039;m already a picky eater, so telling me I can&amp;#039;t eat things I actually like really makes it difficult for me! So if you can relate to my allergy woes (I&amp;#039;m also allergic to cats, certain fruits, mold, dust, and pollen, but who&amp;#039;s counting), here&amp;#039;s how to deal with &amp;#039;em, or how to make your friends feel a little less frustrated if they have them! *KNOW THEY&amp;#039;RE SUPER COMMON: More than 12 million Americans have food allergies, and they&amp;#039;ve doubled in the U.S. in the last 10 years. Some people think it&amp;#039;s because children are exposed to fewer germs nowadays, so their immune system misidentifies some foods as harmful. The most common foods that cause allergic reactions are milk, eggs, wheat, soy, peanuts, tree nuts, shellfish, and fish. There&amp;#039;s no known cure, but some people just grow out of their allergies as they get older. Unfortunately, mine got worse! Click  here  to watch a video all about allergies from  ENT and Allergy Associates. *BE PREPARED: As I said, it&amp;#039;s pretty tough eating out because so often, foods could have things in them you can&amp;#039;t even see (like if you&amp;#039;re allergic to nuts and order eggplant Parmigiana \u2014 it could be fried in peanut oil). So it&amp;#039;s important to be safe. Most restaurants are understanding, and some even have notes on their menus to alert you if you&amp;#039;re allergic to any foods. Here&amp;#039;s another option:  Print out a card  from the Food Allergy &amp;amp;amp; Anaphylaxis Network (and make a lot of copies). It has an area for you to fill out exactly what you can&amp;#039;t eat. Give it to your waiter so the chef knows exactly what you can&amp;#039;t eat. Yeah, you might feel a little weird at first handing them a piece of paper, but it&amp;#039;s worth your life. And if you&amp;#039;re traveling abroad, look up how to say what you&amp;#039;re allergic to before you get there, so you&amp;#039;re prepared! *DON&amp;#039;T BE ASHAMED: First dates can be filled with anxiety, but add in allergies, and they can be potentially even more nerve-wracking. What if you&amp;#039;re allergic to peanuts and your date orders a salad with Thai peanut dressing? Sure, you don&amp;#039;t have to eat it, but you have to watch out before you think about kissing him goodnight. Scientists have conducted  studies that say you should wait to kiss someone who eats something you&amp;#039;re allergic to for at least four and a half hours \u2014 and have the guy brush his teeth too. Deanne, CG!&amp;#039;s senior online editor, has had to deal with this  very situation, so know you&amp;#039;re not alone! *TAKE IT SERIOUSLY: Read the labels on makeup, soaps, and lotions since they often contain milk and nut oils. Since January 2006, manufacturers have to list these products in the simplest terms possible under the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act. And always be careful if you&amp;#039;re sharing food with a friend \u2014 they might not even realize they are eating something that could hurt you. Check out this adorable &amp;quot;Ask Before You Share&amp;quot; bear from  allergyavenue.com. Even though it&amp;#039;s so frustrating, you have to change your way of life (and way of shopping!) when you find out about an allergy.  So tell me, do you have allergies? And how do you deal with them? Post a comment below. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.seventeen.com/health/advice/a9720/allergies-on-the-rise/>