For many families, summer means freedom—from alarm clocks, homework, and packed calendars.
For those managing life-threatening allergies, however, the season's relaxed routines can create new challenges. Camps, vacations, family gatherings, and outdoor events often introduce unfamiliar foods, new caregivers, and situations that require extra planning.
Fortunately, a few simple steps can help reduce risk while making it easier to enjoy everything summer has to offer.
Make Sure Everyone Is Working From the Same Playbook
Summer often means a rotating cast of camp counselors, coaches, babysitters, relatives, and friends helping supervise children.
Before the season gets underway, take inventory of where medications are stored and create a simple one-page emergency sheet that includes allergens, symptoms, emergency contacts, and treatment instructions. Clear, consistent information can help ensure everyone responds quickly and confidently during an emergency.
Keep Epinephrine Accessible and Effective
Summer is a good time to take a fresh look at epinephrine supplies. Always carry two devices and check that backup injectors and nasal sprays stored in sports bags, beach totes, camp backpacks, or grandparents' homes have not expired.
Hot weather can also affect medication. Avoid leaving epinephrine delivery devices in parked cars, trunks, or other areas exposed to extreme temperatures. When traveling, keep autoinjectors and nasal sprays in carry-on luggage rather than checked bags and store them where they can be accessed quickly—not buried at the bottom of a backpack or suitcase.
Plan for Situations, Not Just Foods
Many allergy families spend a great deal of time thinking about ingredients and not enough time contemplating environments.
Summer often brings situations that require a different level of planning, including travel, camps, shared kitchens, food festivals, buffets, barbecues, and large group events. Potential challenges may include cross-contact from shared serving utensils or cooking surfaces, limited ingredient information, language barriers, or a lack of safe food options.
A little advance preparation—whether that's researching restaurants, identifying nearby medical facilities, or packing safe foods—can help prevent difficult decisions when information is limited.
Build Communication and Independence Skills
Summer often creates opportunities for children and teens to spend more time away from their parents at camps, sporting events, sleepovers, vacations, and other activities.
Successful allergy management depends not only on avoiding allergens but also on the ability to communicate clearly and confidently with counselors, coaches, restaurant staff, friends, and other adults. Summer can be an ideal time to practice age-appropriate skills such as explaining an allergy, asking questions about food preparation, speaking up when something feels unsafe, and knowing when to seek help.
Independence develops gradually, but these experiences can help build confidence while maintaining appropriate safeguards.
Prepare for the Unexpected
Before camp, travel, or a major family event, take time to think through potential challenges and discuss how an emergency would be handled. What if symptoms begin on a hiking trail, at a theme park, in an airport, or during a day trip away from home? Who has the epinephrine? How quickly can it be accessed?
Reviewing these scenarios in advance can help identify gaps in a plan and make a real emergency less chaotic if one occurs.
Summer should be a time for making memories—not worrying about allergic reactions. With some advanced preparation, families can focus less on what might go wrong and more on enjoying all the opportunities summer has to offer.
About the Author
Kristen Stewart is the Communications Manager for Allergy Advocates New York, where she writes about allergies, anaphylaxis, advocacy, and practical resources for individuals, families, and communities.