ABOUT 1.3 per cent of the population suffer from a peanut allergy.
Ever since that first reaction at eight months old, living with a severe nut allergy is something I have had to control for 18 years.
From chocolate to bread, unsafe ingredients can be hidden in anything and make anxious situations out of what others would see as simple everyday things such as snacks, eating out or going to a party.
I distinctly remember attending birthday parties at a young age and friend's parents feeling uneasy to have me in their care, or having to bring my own plate of food to eat instead of the birthday cake.
On the dreaded occasion I do consume a nut ingredient, I go straight in to anaphylactic shock – a life-threatening situation.
The effects aren't always the same. They can vary depending on the person or the severity of their allergy.
They include itching, swelling of the face and throat, difficulty in breathing and circulatory collapse.
Anaphylactic reaction has happened to me three times, both ending in me having to have my epipen (an adrenaline needle) stabbed into my upper thigh and being rushed to the hospital.
The first occasion was when I was a baby and my mum gave me some peanut butter on toast.
Within ten minutes, my face had become extremely swollen and I was taken to hospital, where I was diagnosed with a nut allergy.
The other two times I had to use the epipen were at the ages of five and six.
Once was after eating a nacho while the other was after going into a dog food bag when I was helping to feed the dog and there must have been a nut ingredient in the food.
After touching this and then rubbing my eyes, my throat began to itch and face started swelling.
I am now constantly careful as to what I am eating and what others are eating around me to ensure it never has to happen again.
Throughout primary and secondary school, teachers and friends have always had to be aware of my allergy and know what to do if a reaction happens.
It has always been one of the first things I have to tell people about myself – why I carry my epipen and where to find it.
If I could choose one thing to be able to eat it would most probably be a Chinese or Indian takeaway – usually what everyone says they couldn't miss.
But I know there are a lot of people in the world that are worse off than me and, as long as I'm watchful, I will be fine.