The Conversation

Having a severe allergy doesn’t just affect physical health - it’s often the social isolation and mental toll of dealing with a somewhat ‘invisible condition’ that people with allergies also have to contend with.Datshiane Navanayagam speaks to two women from the US and Spain who’re advocating for more awareness and visibility around the real-life impacts.Sarah Ackerman is from the US. Her sensitivity to certain nuts and other foods puts her at risk of anaphylaxis, a rapid-onset reaction that can be fatal if not treated immediately. She now supports other young people living with food allergies and caregivers through her work as a public speaker and through with her blog, ‘Girl Behind the Hive’. She believes that it’s important to show young people and their parents that it is possible to live fulfilling lives whilst also managing life-threatening food allergies and shares her experiences of everything from dating to travel. Irantzu Muerza Santos from Spain has severe, life-threatening allergic asthma which s