FITCHBURG, Wis. -- Millions of Americans suffer from a variety of allergies, from medications to latex to bee stings. But one of the most difficult and deadly allergies is to food.

Eleven million people suffer from food allergies, often more than one, and that number is on the rise.

FOOD ALLERGIES Survey: Do You Have Any? Article: Allergies Vs. Intolerances In Depth: Peanuts Dangerous For Some RESOURCES Food Recalls Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network Food & Nutrition Information Center Food Allergy Buddy Food And Drug Administration

Two-year-old Mia Sanders is severely allergic to peanuts, eggs, and dairy.

"It's a challenge, but Mia's diet is actually probably a little healthier than most kids because she eats a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables," said her mom, Jenny Sanders.

According to allergists, babies aren't born with allergies -- they develop them. Some babies develop them more quickly than others. Mia was diagnosed at 6 weeks old. She would react with hives, vomiting and bloody stools when her mother ate certain foods while nursing her.

"The classic food-allergy presentations are eczema, dry, scaly, itchy skin, hives, red, itchy welts, and breathing difficulties," says allergist Dr. Michael Ritter, with University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics. "Typically, allergies cause feeding problems in really young kids -- vomiting, diarrhea, and colic."

Mia's mom had to drastically change her diet while nursing her, avoiding all dairy products and peanuts. Jenny quit nursing Mia at 9 months because her own health was suffering from avoiding foods such as milk and eggs.

Now that Mia is older, the Sanders family eats no casseroles, no fast food, and no restaurant food -- meals many regular families usually survive on. Most nights Jenny prepares a separate meal for Mia.

"You can't trust cross-contamination, you can't trust what's on the menu." Jenny Sanders

"It changes everything. We pack food everywhere we go. If we go to a restaurant, we have to pack a meal for her," Sanders said. "You can't trust cross-contamination, you can't trust what's on the menu."

Ritter said his practice is seeing more patients with food allergies and even more patients with multiple food allergies.

"There actually has been a change in the incidence of food allergies because the food we're eating, we were eating 10 to 20 years ago," Ritter said. "And our diagnostic methods are still very similar today as they were 10 to 20 years ago. Those things haven't changed, it's just that there are more allergic people nowadays."

Two million school-aged kids have food allergies. One in every 20 children under the age of 3 does, too.

In the Sanders family, neither mom nor dad has food allergies. Doctors say genetics can but don't necessarily predispose one to allergies. Medical professionals say allergies are frustrating to the scientific community because there's not one reason to point to.

"One of the ideas that people put out is the hygiene hypothesis," said Ritter. "If our bodies are getting exposed to certain infections and developing more of a tolerizing immune response, then when they're exposed to food allergens, they'll develop more of an allergic response to things."

According to the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network, food allergies account for 30,000 trips to the emergency room every year -- 90 percent of those reactions are caused by eight foods in particular:

• milk
• eggs
• peanuts
• tree nuts
• wheat
• soy
• fish
• shellfish

The good news is that many allergies are outgrown. Statistics show that 85 to 90 percent of kids like Mia will outgrow the majority of allergies like dairy and eggs, but it may take years.

Only 10 to 20 percent will outgrow allergies to peanuts and shellfish. These are considered "lifelong" allergies.

Resources Plentiful If You Know Where To Look

For many families dealing with food allergies, the most frustrating part of a diagnosis is not knowing where to start looking for the information they need to live their lives.

Ritter diagnoses allergies every day, but he said living the life is a completely different story.

After treatment is secure, Ritter points food allergic families to Darcy Hackel, president of the Food Allergy Support Group of southern Wisconsin.

Hackel knows firsthand how families cope with food allergies. Her 4-year-old son Devon was diagnosed with food allergies shortly after birth. Devon had severe eczema, had colic, and constantly sick.

"I was afraid to feed him anything. I was afraid to feed him anything at all," said Hackel.

Devon's condition continued to worsen. As he grew older, he became allergic to more and more food items he had previously tolerated. Then experts diagnosed him with esosinophilic disorder.

"His whole esophagus and digestive tract is lined with allergy cells," said Hackel.

Devon now has allergic reactions to 30 known food products. He gets 95 percent of his nutrition through a feeding tube to avoid any other reactions. His case is rare and extreme.

But his mother is determined for him to grow up like any other boy.

Hackel makes what little food he can eat from scratch. She researches every store-bought product thoroughly online. If labels aren't clearly marked, Hackel calls manufacturers to ask about ingredients.

Hackel tries to find substitutes for regular food for Devon.

"The family is having french fries, Devon's having french fries," said Hackel. "He can't have potatoes, so his are made from turnips, so he will have french fries and ketchup just like everybody else."

Hackel's pantry is now stocked with different staples like egg replacer, specialty oils, chocolate chips, and baking mixes.

But it wasn't easy finding all of the information. It took a lot of time and research on the Internet and a lot of experimental cooking.

Now Hackel leads the allergy support group of southern Wisconsin to help give other food allergic families that step they need to get started.

"I will offer to them cooking lessons, grocery shopping, label reading," said Hackel. "But mostly we offer each other moral support."

"The food allergies aren't taken that seriously. Many people understand the bee sting allergy and are very vigilant about that, but not about food." Darcy Hackel, Food Allergy Support Group of southern Wisconsin

One problem food allergic families face is skepticism.

"The food allergies aren't taken that seriously," said Hackel. "Many people understand the bee sting allergy and are very vigilant about that, but not about food."

"Food is everywhere in school. It's a landmine for him."

Hackel, who also works full time, was instrumental in developing the policies that make Woods Hollow Children's Center in Fitchburg the top of the line in caring for children with food allergies. The center currently cares for 134 children full time, 10 with life-threatening allergies.

"There needs to be a safe place for kids with food allergies to come and learn what other kids are learning, where they can function as children -- do all the things that other children do," said the center's director, Theresa Hoveland.

Hoveland says Woods Hollow is completely nut-free and accommodates the special needs of their food-allergic children.

The center's nutritionist, Becky Legler, is a member of the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network. She has intimately researched food allergies, taken classes and helped develop the allergy procedures and policies now used by Woods Hollow.

Legler said she precooks food for the food-allergic children ahead of time and freezes it in portion sizes. When she works on that food, she does nothing else so she can be absolutely sure there is no cross-contamination.

"We even go so far as to double wash plates, cups and silverware, and we individually wrap them," said Legler.

At the center, Devon has his own chair marked with blue tape and kept in a closet. At snack time, he pulls it out and sits at the table with the rest of the class.

While he is included at the class table, he is strategically placed between his teacher and the rest of the children so there is no accidental sharing of food.

"They're close enough that he feels included in the whole group," said Hoveland.

Hoveland said her entire staff is trained in how to work with children with food allergies. Their procedures include strict label reading on everything they use -- from the paint to the glue to the food. Even the cleaning supplies are carefully screened for allergens.

Every teacher is taught how to use an EpiPen to administer a quick dose of medicine.

"We're constantly revisiting it and talking about what we're doing," said Hoveland. "What works, what doesn't work. We're asking questions. We're learning from our families. We're sharing information. We're collecting resources. It's never ending, and it shouldn't be."