Tag Archives: Health and Safety

Explaining Food Allergies to Kids

Birthday Party

When I was growing up my parents would go to exhaustive lengths to ensure anyone who babysat me knew the full extent of my allergies, how to avoid triggers, and what to do incase I had contact with a potential allergen.  As I got older, I switched roles and soon found that I was the babysitter now explaining to the children I was looking after why I couldn’t prepare them things like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

With the rate of childhood food allergies on the rise, it is becoming important to not over simplify or downplay your allergies when talking to children. Rather it is important to make sure they are told, in an age appropriate manner, what allergies are and the seriousness of an allergic reaction. From my perspective, there are two benefits that can result from taking the time to explain food allergies to children. The first obvious benefit is that a child is more likely to act appropriately around you with regards to your allergies. The second, larger benefit is the fact that, the more exposure to and education about allergies they receive, the more likely they are to understand the concept of food allergies in general.

One of the biggest things to keep in mind and assess when explaining food allergies to children is the actual age of the child and what they will be able to comprehend in terms of information and detail.  You don’t need to go assessing where the child falls on Piaget’s Scale of Cognitive Development, but gain a sense of what is appropriate for them to learn based on things they already know. When talking to a child about food allergies, engage them in the conversation, ask them questions to assess their ability to understand what you are explaining and, if you have the time and are really creative, feel free to get interactive and even make a game about the information they are learning! Okay. So not every time you explain your allergies to a child will involve a game about say ‘matching food allergies with symptoms’. But try to always get to know the child you’re talking to and see what’s the best way you can relate to them and help them with understanding this important topic.

In terms about what information to address, again this will involve assessing why you are bringing this topic up with the child and what they will most benefit from learning. If this is a child’s first exposure to someone with allergies, the obvious conversation to start with is what allergies are. For a younger child, the most important piece to get across is the emphasis that some foods are very harmful if eaten or even touched by people with allergies. As a child gets older, they will be able to understand and even be interested in a more in-depth explanation of allergies. This can involve going on to explain the body’s immune system and how it can overreact and identify certain food items as allergens. If a child is exposed to someone, such as a playmate with severe allergies, it then might also be worth explaining about the treatment involved when someone is having an allergic reaction. The explanation can again vary but could involve emphasis on notifying an adult or someone who is able to activate EMS and provide immediate treatment with an auto-injector or, if appropriate, the child could be educated about the process of using an auto injector. 

With food allergies on the rise, it is never too early to start educating children about what allergies are and how to act around those who do have allergies. And who better to start the conversation than a young adult who has grown up and has had the experience first hand!

Caitlyn P.

Going to The Dentist with Allergies

Dentist

Note: The following advice is simply that: advice. It is not to be substituted for professional advice from your dentist. It is, rather, intended to serve as a general reminder to help you work with your dentist and/or other dental professionals to aid in safe experiences at the dentist.

 

Going to the dentist is an experience most people try to avoid. I know this because I’m a dental student and my patients are never shy to remind me of this. Usually, a dentist will ask you to fill out a health questionnaire before seeing you. This is where you should write down any allergies you have. A few common ones that are important for your dentist to know include (but are not limited to):

  • Antibiotics (e.g. penicillin, sulfonamides). A dentist might prescribe you antibiotics if you have a tooth ache and need a root canal, or if you just had a tooth extracted. If you see them reaching for the prescription pad, don’t be shy to remind them of your allergy.
  • Latex or nitrile. Depending on the dental office, some dentists prefer to use latex gloves, while others prefer nitrile. Latex can also be found in the rubber dam they use while drilling a cavity, at the tip of the drill used for prophylaxis (cleaning or polishing your teeth), at one end of the vial of anesthetic, as well as other places. If the dentist doesn’t ask you if you’re allergic before he/she sits down, feel free to mention it before they put on their gloves.
  • In local anesthesia with a vasopressor (like epinephrine), sulfites are used as a preserving agent. A sulfite allergy is not the same as an allergy to sulfa, which is an antibiotic. It’s also possible (but rare) to be allergic to a class of anesthetics called “esters” (http://www.dentistrytoday.com/pain-management/anesthesia/265). If you think you’re allergic to local anesthesia because of a past bad reaction, get tested by an allergist to make sure it’s a true allergy.
  • Today, most metals used in crowns and prostheses are precious metals and are well tolerated by the body. If you’re sensitive to non-precious metals like copper or nickel, make sure your dentist knows. In terms of fillings, a true allergy to amalgam is quite rare, but it’s still possible to have a localized reaction on the skin that’s in direct contact with the amalgam (silver/metal filling). Discuss your concerns with your dentist.

If you start experiencing the signs of an allergic reaction, bring it to the attention of the dentist immediately. All dentists are trained in emergency first aid and by law are required to stock epinephrine in their emergency kit. As long as you’re clear about your allergies (and brush and floss regularly), going to the dentist should be a relatively “painless” experience.

Talia A.

Cruises And Allergies Take Two: Another Personal Account!

sunset

Traveling with allergies can be a daunting thought. There are many variables that are further out of your control when you are not in your own environment. However, if you plan appropriately, you can still have a great and rewarding vacation.

I have had food allergies since I was one year old and have still had the opportunity to travel internationally. I never thought I would have the opportunity to travel to the Caribbean due to the language barrier, although, recently traveling on a cruise ship opened this door. Cruise ships can allow you to travel to a multitude of places with food allergies if you take the necessary precautions.

Here are some things that I have learned about traveling on cruise ships that have made for an easier vacation.

Before you go:

Call the cruise line. It is important to call the cruise line that you plan to travel with. Like airlines, their policies will vary. Ask about the medical facilities on board the ship. I was surprised to learn about the capacity of care the cruise ship that I recently traveled on was capable of. My ship had a doctor and three nurses on board. They essentially had a mini emergency room, which I was told was capable of intubation and administering the medications necessary in the case of an anaphylactic reaction.

Also, ask about the dining facilities. Most cruise ships will have a buffet in addition to a formal dining room where your allergies can best be accommodated. Booking your cruise over the phone can allow for a note to be made on your file identifying your food allergies.

Pack Safe Snacks.  Although there is an abundance of food onboard, bringing safe snacks can be helpful. Between meal times, the main dining room may be closed, leaving you with the buffet as your only option. For times like these, having snacks from home can make your life easier.

Onboard the Ship:

 Arranging Meals. When you first get onboard, it is a good idea to make reservations for your meal at the main dining room. There are multiple options for how you choose to schedule your meals in the main dining rooms. An option allowing you to sit at the same table each night with the same staff will allow for consistency and an easier dining experience. When you first go for supper, you can request to speak to the head waiter, who is typically best able to handle your meals. My waiter would have me pick my meals the night before so that the kitchen could take extra time for preparation. I found the dining staff to be very helpful and cautious about my allergies. The staff all spoke fluent English so there was no language barrier.

Buffet Meals. As I mentioned before, at certain times of the day, the main dining facilities may be closed leaving the buffet as your only option. The staff members at the buffet were very accommodating with my allergies. Getting food directly from the buffet is not safe due to the risk for cross-contamination. When I talked to the staff at the buffet, they were able to prepare a fresh meal for me.

Eating on Shore. I was not comfortable to eat off of the boat. I felt that they were able to manage my needs best on board. Depending upon where you are traveling, there can be major language barriers inhibiting your ability to inform the restaurant about your allergies. I always ensured that I had enough to eat to last me until I would be back to the boat. Bringing snacks from home is one way to know what you are consuming when off the boat.

Cruising can be a great way to travel for both an action packed or relaxing vacation. Explore your options to find a vacation that you will feel comfortable with.

Sara  S.

Allergies and All-Inclusive Resorts

Beach toys

When thinking about all-inclusive resorts, the first thing that should come to mind is sheer serenity—things like a clear blue ocean, white sandy beaches, and flawless sunny weather.

Even though vacations to all-inclusive destinations do provide many people with a much needed breather from life’s obstacles and challenges, those with allergies actually end-up encountering a host of other potential challenges. These can transform a stress-free getaway into a stressful experience.

Therefore, for all who love to travel, I will offer-up my suggestions in the following two sections. These should help you to prepare for your next trip. I am drawing these from my own experiences.

Choosing a location:

Many all-inclusive destination resorts are located in the Caribbean; so my advice will be focused upon Caribbean destinations. Try choosing an Island where English is the native tongue or at least widely used (ie. Turks and Caicos, Barbados, the U.S. Virgin Islands, etcetera…). When I travelled to Turks and Caicos, I found this to be key in terms of communicating my allergies to the hotel staff. You should also look for Islands that have international-chain grocery stores. Turks and Caicos had an IGA steps away from the hotel, This reduced a lot of the stress when it came to eating and preparing food.  If you want to avoid the islands completely, another excellent option includes US-based destinations: Florida, California or Arizona. All of these states have great weather and high-standards when it comes to food quality and health-care. These factors should not be “be-all and end-all” determinants when it comes to looking for a destination; but keep them in mind.

Choosing your hotel:

When looking for hotels, always try to book a room with a kitchen, even if it is a bit pricier. When travelling to the Dominican Republic, a few years back, I found booking a room with a kitchen to be a big stress-reliever. There were no grocery stores around; so I just asked the chef in the hotel’s restaurant to provide me with a raw piece of veal or chicken that I would grill myself, in my room. Beware, however, that some hotels are not open to doing this. So be sure to call well in advance of your arrival. It is always good practice to call your hotel in advance to ask about the hotel’s allergy policies (if they exist), the nearest medical centre, and the room’s amenities. I can’t tell you how many times I have booked a room with a “fully equipped kitchen,” only to find a broken microwave and circa-1992 mini-bar fridge. ALWAYS call in advance. A lot of people I know “risk it” when on vacation and just eat food from the buffet. I would strongly advise against this. As alluring as the beach and buffet notion is, at all-inclusive resorts, eating at buffets puts you at an increased risk for eating cross-contaminated food. Tongs are not properly cleaned and people use their hands to pick-up food, etcetera. Always try to have as much control over your food as possible.

These are some tips from my experiences. As you travel more, you will begin to carve-out your own routines and form your own rules based upon your own experiences. The key things to keep in mind are to know your destination, know your hotel, and know yourself. You always have to feel comfortable in the situation that you are in; this will guarantee you a stress-free trip.

Saverio M. 

Always Packing: Carrying Your Auto-Injector  

Live_Main Auto Injector

It all started with a fanny-pack. It was a bright blue, yellow zippered, Tigger-themed fanny-pack to be exact. From the time I was five, to about twelve years old, this was the most important accessory I had. Why? It was the vehicle for carrying my auto-injector (my safety net and my security blanket).  Back in the 90’s, my bright blue fanny-pack was my ‘go-to’ item; but I quickly outgrew it and needed to find some other way to carry my auto-injector. Luckily, being a girl, I would eventually grow into carrying a purse with me everywhere. But, during my high school days, I hit those awkward preteen/ teen years. I was too young to carry a purse and too old for a fanny pack. I no longer had a permanent desk to put it in or one specific teacher to hold onto it for me. My locker was too far away and I wasn’t allowed to take a book bag with me everywhere. I needed to find another option to discretely and effectively transport my auto-injector while in school. Lucky for me, I had access to many carriers and tricks to help conceal my auto injector and keep it on me at all times.

I purchased a much smaller, stylish black case that I was able to put in my pencil case. But I also made sure I had one in my book bag in my locker at all times. Getting through those high school years was tough. Most people yearn to fit in. And I was much the same. So I refrained from telling many people about my auto-injector in my pencil case. The people I made aware were my teachers and a few close friends. Now I realize the importance of telling people about the location of my auto-injector and how to use it in case of an emergency.

As I grew up, I became more comfortable with my auto-injector and with my food allergies. I was able to find new ways to carry it around discretely. Being a girl, I was lucky to have the excuse of always having a purse with me. The problem I soon arrived at involved different sized purses and singular-sized auto-injectors. From small little clutches to extremely large purses, I was either fighting to find it or struggling to put it in. Luckily I’ve found a few tricks and discovered, through my male friends, that they also had some unique and creative ways to carry around their auto-injectors.  For me, I’ve always felt it is easier to carry my auto-injector in the side pocket of my purse. It’s easy to grab if there is an emergency and it’s easy to find if I can’t tell someone. There will be no more routing around in the deep caverns of my purse. With the new advancements in auto-injectors, it’s easier to carry them in pant pockets or in those pesky little clutches and purses I mentioned earlier. Some new auto-injectors are as small as a business card with a little width. They can be easily placed in most little bags. As for my male counterparts, carrying an auto-injector can be a little trickier as far as not drawing major attention. One the best ways I’ve seen them carried is in an ankle holster (a lá James Bond) that fits neatly under most pants. Those new auto-injectors I mentioned above are smaller and able to fit in most pockets discretely. There is also many companies offering carrying cases for various activities like belts for outdoor/upbeat activities from Waist Buddy () or the versatile brand Allergy Pack ( http://www.allergypack.com/) that offer many different styles to carry one or multiple auto-injectors. They even make carrying cases for asthma inhalers.

It doesn’t matter what you’re wearing, what kind of purse you’re sporting or what pants you may be in. It is always important to have your auto-injector with you when you go out.  It can be cumbersome and it can be awkward; but nothing is worse than needing it in an emergency and not having it. So remember to keep it with you. Tell someone you have it with you and where it is located. Think of it as the best and most practical fashion accessory you have; it also just so happens to go with any outfit.

Arianne K.

 

A Food Allergy Camper’s Guide to…Camping!

canoe 2

I wouldn’t call myself a seasoned camper; but I have definitely had my fair share of outdoor adventures and know how to handle my food allergy in the wild. The following is a collection of my best advice and tips for you to consider before setting out on your own big outdoor adventure.

  • Remember to pack extra auto-injectors with your first aid kit. Then, when you have your extra ones, pack another (just in case); and keep them on you at all times.
  • Train your group (if you’re travelling with one) about how to properly administer your auto-injector and make sure they feel confident with it before heading out.
  • FOOD! I would say this is the most important thing to remember to pack (not just because I love food). It is very important to pack food that you can feel safe eating when you go camping. If someone else in your group is in charge of buying the food, make sure they are well aware of the severity of your food allergy. If you are backpack camping in the wild, I would recommend accompanying that person or even volunteering to buy the food yourself. This will improve your safety and comfort when you hit the trails!
  • Wear your medical identification.
  • Pack appropriately. If you are aware that plants carrying your allergen are present in the area, it might be wise to pack long pants and shirts in case you go on a hike. This will help protect your skin from contact with your allergen.
  • Keep contact information with you or with your gear. It may also be useful to add some contact information for nearby establishments to get in contact should an emergency arise.
  • Bio-degradable soap. This is probably a step most people overlook when packing for a camping trip—especially when you have to travel light. Washing your hands with soap is the best way to rid your skin of allergens after contact. So, when the nearest hospital is nowhere close, this is an important item; and you should always wash before meals!
  • Have fun! Always keep safety in the back of your mind while camping; but remember that it is just as important to relax and have some fun!

Hopefully these tips help prepare you for your future adventures. Comment and tell me about your camping experiences. I definitely have a few great stories I’d love to share!

Dylan

 

Dining with Clients and Cayenne: Guest Post by Patricia J. Pawlak

Pat (dining with cayenne allergy)

 

I have been fortunate enough to have a career where I traveled the world and had to entertain. For me, there is something exhilarating about sitting down with clients for a culinary experience, getting to know them, and knowing you may have to close a deal. In that situation, you want to stay focused and be charming. Nothing zaps the energy out of a dining experience more then having the focus of the evening on your food allergy. I dread the drama of it all and my clients enduring the waiter/ kitchen sprint because of my food allergies.

I have developed such an intolerance to all capsicum, i.e. cayenne, paprika and cumin, that my throat closes up, I start to shake and then, within 10/15 minutes, I actually projectile vomit. It comes on so quickly, violently and unexpectedly that, even during a lunch, I was rushed to the hospital projectiling (as I ruined my new red silk suit).

After several of these rushed trips to the ER, I finally went to an allergy specialist who diagnosed my malaise as the worst possible allergic reaction one can suffer and still survive.

Thanks to Emeril, and the influx of some certain cuisines, most restaurants have infused, charged, and drilled their menus with chili, cayenne, and paprika and made it impossible for me to dine in many restaurants. I have discovered that even the nicest restaurants now marinate all their meat, fish, and chicken dishes with some form of capsicum. That means even a chicken salad is off limits and watch those candied pecans; they have chili on them now.  For some reason, many restaurant salad dressings have cayenne or paprika—even a simple Caesar dressing.  Deserts, from cheesecake to tiramisu, are now spiked with cayenne.  I have even been served strawberries with a “surprise.” Thankfully, I asked what the surprise was or the restaurant would have been surprised! I have gone to restaurants and not been able to have any dish on the menu.

My strategy now is to check out a menu first before I suggest a restaurant for business.  I ignored my own advice last week; I went to a good sushi restaurant thinking that I would not have to bring up my food allergy in front of my clients. To my chagrin, I opened the menu and the first sushi listed was “Jalapeño Sushi” and, along down the line of the menu, most had heat. I had no other choice but to have the proverbial conversation to make sure what dishes I could eat.

The frustration lies not only in its increase of use but in its use in dishes that historically never had any form of heat.  Even when I order a dish that couldn’t possibly have cayenne, Fettuccini Alfredo, I have had it come with cayenne sprinkled all over.  I have asked for plain poached fish (“nothing on it, plain, please”) trying to be discreet. And the fish came covered in chili flakes. When I explained finally that I had an allergy, I was told “You don’t know what good is!” This is not about taste, this is about health and, in my opinion, our taste buds are being hijacked by all this heat!

I am meeting more and more people daily who are developing this allergy due to the proliferation of this spice.  Hopefully, chefs will begin to take notice and will begin to create more interesting dishes instead of just throwing in the heat.
Patricia