Happy Holidays - Respect Food Allergies

Holidays are a challenging time for people with food allergies because of the focus on traditional foods and activities. Just one bite of a tempting food can cause a serious or life threatening reaction. Preventing accidental ingestions is the key to celebrating a safe, joyous holiday season with family and friends.

Most accidental ingestions occur when eating away from home. If you are invited to a holiday party, plan ahead. Let your hosts know about food allergies well in advance. Offer to bring a dish or two that complements the meal being served but is safe for the guest with food allergies. The majority of allergic reactions occur from ingestion of dessert. Bringing a favorite safe dessert is an easy way to help your busy host and still enjoy the best part of the meal.

Eat a snack before you go to parties, so that you are not tempted to try a food out of hunger. Always ask about ingredients in the food being served before you try it, and be careful about homemade foods that may contain “secret ingredients.” The cook may not have thought about food allergies or cross-contamination. If there is a doubt, don’t eat it, even if it might offend the cook. Don’t forget that serving utensils are a common source of cross contamination. Traces of allergens on serving utensils have caused severe, even fatal reactions. If you have a food allergy, serve yourself first if possible. If there is a doubt, ask for a clean serving utensil.

Parents often express concern about protecting very young children from accidental ingestions at busy holiday parties. Allergy alert clothing or clip-on tags stating the child’s food allergy discourage feeding the child without permission from the parents. These provide an immediate visual cue that the child is food allergic and are very effective in deterring well meaning friends and family members from unknowingly exposing the child to unsafe foods.

Holiday crafts and activities can also expose children with food allergies to unsafe foods. Cookie decorating, making bread dough ornaments, making peanut butter and seed pinecones for the birds, and even the treats earned from caroling can pose a hidden threat to young children with food allergies. Remind your child’s teacher about foods to avoid during holiday projects at school; consider volunteering during holiday parties. Children just want to fit in and be part of the fun; it’s important to keep their activities safe.

Always carry your EpiPen or Twinject epinephrine injector and make sure you know how to use it. If an accidental ingestion occurs, don’t try to tough it out. Epinephrine is the only lifesaving medicine used to treat allergic reactions to food. If you use your epinephrine injector, go to the hospital for further evaluation and treatment.

Food allergies should not stop anyone from having a safe and happy holiday season. The Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network now offers The Food Allergy News Holiday Cookbook, available at http://www.foodallergy.org/. This book contains 150 allergy free recipes, as well as tips for hosts and guests with food allergies. FAAN can also be reached at 800-929-4040.
For lots of great allergy free holiday craft ideas, log on to kidswithfoodallergies.org

College Prep: Living with Asthma in College

Leaving home for college is an exciting time. College-bound students with allergies and asthma have a few additional responsibilities to take on as they make the transition to college life.

Asthma and Dorm Life

The same principles of allergy avoidance apply to dorm life as to home life:

• Use dust mite encasings: most dorm beds are extra long, so shop accordingly.
• Keep your room clean! Don’t let dusty clutter accumulate
• If there are bunk beds in the room, take the top bunk to decrease exposure to allergens from the other mattress
• Launder bedding in hot water each week
• Avoid having rugs and upholstered furniture in your dorm room
• Avoid cigarette or other types of smoke.
• Resist the urge to acquire a small furry pet: they are a common trigger of allergies and asthma.

Other Tips

During orientation, find out where student health is located and what services and medications are available there. Find out where the nearest emergency department is. Find out the name, phone number and hours of the nearest pharmacy and how to get there. Don’t wait until you are sick to do this. Be proactive.

Make sure you have an adequate supply of the medications you use for asthma and allergies. Keep your rescue inhaler handy at all times. Don’t leave home without it! Know your own asthma symptoms and what to do if they occur. Don’t forget to take asthma controller medications daily. There is no one to remind you to do this now that you are away at college.

Avoid touching your eyes, nose, mouth or face unless you have washed your hands. This helps decrease the spread of respiratory infections which could trigger your asthma. Stay away from people who are sick.

Get a flu shot.

Now that you are 18 or over, you can call Certified Allergy and Asthma yourself for questions or problems with your asthma or allergies. Don’t expect a parent to do this for you.

Don’t forget to study hard, get adequate sleep and nutrition, and have fun! We’ll see you at your next visit.

Ragweed "Season" Begins

Ragweed pollen appeared in the Capital Region today, for an earlier than usual start to this "allergy season". Ragweed typically appears mid-August through September. It's hard to predict how long the season will last, but it ends by the first hard frost. The extent of rain in the region this summer may promote ragweed growth which could result in greater than normal ragweed pollen counts. Only time (and weather conditions) will tell.

Allergy symptoms triggered by ragweed pollen include: sneezing, runny nose, and itchy and/or watery eyes. People with asthma may experience an increase in their symptoms if they are allergic to ragweed. People with ragweed allergies should use medication as prescribed to help control the effects of ragweed pollen. Asthma patients who have increased symptoms should contact their doctor.

June rain brings mold

Several days of rain throughout June have led to increased mold production, creating havoc for mold allergy sufferers. Grass pollen counts continue to be quite high.

People with seasonal allergies are experiencing moderate to severe symptoms as a result of the weather. Monitor pollen and mold counts daily on our web site.

High Tree Pollen Counts Invade Capital Region

The above average warmth experienced in the area the past several days has brought about significantly high tree pollen counts. Most persons sensitive to tree pollen experience symptoms when counts are classified as "High". Symptoms typically include watery and/or itchy eyes, runny nose, and sneezing. Persons with asthma who are also allergic to tree pollen may experience increased asthma symptoms such as shortness of breath and wheezing. Allergy sufferers are encouraged to use prescribed medications as directed, limit outdoor activity if possible and see your doctor if symptoms persist.

The Fight Against Peanut Allergy: Don’t Try This at Home

About one million children in the U.S. are allergic to peanuts. Currently the only way to manage this allergy is with strict avoidance of peanuts. This requires significant effort on the part of the child and family to keep the child safe. They must carefully read labels, prepare special snacks, and quiz friends and restaurant staff about whether peanuts could be present in their food. Children must carry an Epi Pen and know how to use it or be around an adult trained to do so. Parents often worry a lot about the safety of their allergic child when he or she is not under their direct supervision, since even a tiny amount of peanut can cause a life threatening reaction.

Duke University in North Carolina and Arkansas Children’s Hospital in Little Rock are currently conducting studies to determine if ingesting small amounts of peanut might desensitize children with peanut allergy. In an initial Duke study, under very close medical supervision, patients started with 1/1,000 of a peanut per day, and gradually increased the amount very slowly over time. After ten months, most of the children were able to tolerate up to 15 peanuts per day, and 5 children actually outgrew the allergy. However, 4 children could not tolerate any ingestion without having a serious reaction and had to drop out of the study. Although these results are both newsworthy and exciting, there were only 33 children in this preliminary study. A more extensive study is planned over the next few years to corroborate these results.

It is hopeful that in the next several years or so, this type of treatment might become a reality for children with peanut allergy. For now, the American Academy of Pediatrics and allergy specialists continue to advise strict avoidance of peanut and peanut products for patients with peanut allergy.