HAWMC Day 4 – Sharing Resources

When my daughter was first diagnosed with each of her conditions – asthma, allergies (food and environmental) and eczema, I searched for communities that could offer insight, support, advocacy and resources.  Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network – which is now known as Food Allergy and Research Education is the first organization I joined as a member and I attended their annual conference  in Baltimore, Md.  Food allergy conferences can be a good opportunity to meet like-minded advocates who share your journey and you get to learn about more resources, research updates and best practices.  The cooking demonstrations are an added bonus!

Other helpful links:  

Allergy Eats- a peer-reviewed directory of restaurants that help consumers identify (and review) restaurants that best meet their food allergy needs.  

Auvi-Q  and EpiPen – treats life-threatening allergic reactions (anaphylaxis)  for those at risk or have a history of these reactions.  Also check out the MyEpiPen app where profiles can be shared with caregivers.



    Learn how to use an epi-pen and share profiles about your allergies to caregivers   (Photo Courtesy: Dey Pharma) 



Kids with Food Allergies recently announced it will become a division of the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. Both organizations provide all levels of support, advocacy and individual services for those with allergy-related conditions.

Local resources in the Maryland, D.C. and Northern Virginia area:

One Dish Cuisine – chef/owner, Maureen Burke serves up safe foods free of allergens and gluten. With a personal understanding about celiac disease and autism, the local Ellicott City café serves food onsite and provides allergen free food to local hospitals and assisted living centers.

Loudoun Allergy Network   (Northern Virginia) provides advocacy and support for those managing food allergies and anaphylaxis, including school and social strategies.



#HAWMC Day 3 - Wordless Wednesday: Lifesaving Comfort



Like her teddy bear, allergy tools bring comfort, potentially lifesaving



Day 2 - Introduction to Allergies

Allergies (food or environmental), asthma and eczema are among the allergy related conditions that may be seasonal, lifelong or outgrown.  It is possible if you have one condition, there is a greater likelihood to develop others. But there are cases where it’s unrelated or just a singular event.

Here are five things you should know about allergy-related conditions:

·       Allergens stimulate your body’s immune response to whatever you touch, breathe, ingest from foods or drinks or from medication injections, causing your body to defend itself and overreact to substances, such as peanuts and pollens (allergens). Eczema (atopic dermatitis) is a type of itchy rash that can flare up when exposed to triggers such as allergens, heat and dry skin. In the winter and summer months on the East Coast, I’m always on high alert for eczema. Watching a baby suffer with itchy skin, even when treated with hydrocortisone cream can make you feel helpless, but http://itchylittleworld.com/  offers good advice and resources to deal with eczema for your little ones.

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·       Allergies can trigger asthma, which is inflammation of the lungs and airway, making it difficult to breathe. Irritants for asthma can range from pollen, dust, and pollution to tobacco smoke and exercise. As soon as the spring season (pollen) and fall season arrives (ragweed) nears, keep the shelves stocked with antihistamines. It is especially helpful to track your local allergy forecast using the tools at www.pollen.com in order to manage your allergies and asthma during seasons with known triggers.  

·        Symptoms of an allergic reaction can cross the spectrum from itchy eyes, sneezing, coughing and wheezing to anaphylaxis. Anaphylaxis is an allergic symptoms that can affect different areas of body, causes difficulty breathing and can be fatal without the immediate administration of epinephrine (EpiPen). Food allergies are the most common cause of anaphylaxis, but other allergens can risk a anaphylactic reaction and it can be severe for those who have asthma. For those newly diagnosed with the risk of anaphylaxis, The Allergist Mom has an informative post that explains the science and symptoms behind anaphylaxis.

      You can now request a $0 co-pay EpiPen Card and save on your 2-pak prescription, visit www.epipen.com to learn more.

     

      

·        Schools are a high risk environment for food allergy reactions and one in 25 school-aged kids have food allergies according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. For those who are newly diagnosed with food allergies and anaphylaxis, it may be helpful to have an Anaphylaxis Action Plan that has been reviewed and approved by your physician and accessible for anyone who cares for your child. Samples are available for download at AAAAI and FARE. 

 

·      Federal legislation was introduced in 2011 to allow schools to have stock epinephrine auto-injectors. Today, nearly two dozen states have introduced some form of School Access to Emergency Epinephrine legislation to save the lives of those who experience an anaphylactic reaction and for those who lack a prescribed EpiPen (epinephrine auto-injector) in their states, including my home state of Maryland. Support is still needed to urge passage of federal legislation. Visit Food Allergy and Research Education to learn more and write your representative and senator. 

          

About 46-76 percent of food allergy reactions happen in the classroom

·        The top eight allergens are eggs, milk, wheat, fish, shellfish, nuts, tree nuts and soy.  But there are other allergens such as fruits and vegetables.  Those with celiac disease are also at risk for food allergies and you can check out one person’s journey at http://celiacandallergyadventures.wordpress.com/2013/03/18/what-is-oral-allergy-syndrome/. When I find it difficult to manage my own daughter’s food allergies, I also visit http://allergicgirl.blogspot.com/ as a reminder there are ways to thrive with food allergies.

Day 1- Why I write about the allergy triad - allergies, asthma and eczema

As part of WEGO Health’s 2013 Health Activist Writer's Month Challenge, #HAWMC, I am going to take you on our journey over the next 30 days on how to deal and support those who fall within the allergy triad – or what I affectionately call the triple threat.

When I gave birth to my daughter, a passion to write and tweet @theallergymama about her health condition came to life. She developed eczema as a baby and around the age of two, we discovered she had food allergies. After her first bite of a fish flake she turned into a blowfish with swollen eyes and cried about itching. Not a good sign.  Then came spring and so did her wheezing. Welcome Asthma!

After she was seen by her pediatrician and allergist, we were educated about the allergy triad – allergies, asthma and eczema. Our daughter’s journey to live with the risk of anaphylaxis (severe allergic reaction that can become fatal) and allergy-related conditions has driven me to become a health activist.  We’re managing asthma through every season, dealing with potentially life-threatening food allergies and eczema has recently become less of a problem.  I’m grateful my doctor warned me to about the ‘triad’ of allergy-related conditions. But, I never imagined it would be so life-changing. While no one can walk around in bubble and I would love to shield my daughter from every type of nut, seafood, grass and tree pollens – I cannot. But what I can do is help her on this journey by creating understanding about the seriousness of allergy-related conditions, managing it, and hopefully help others along the way. 

I am a newbie to #HAWMC, but not the health activist journey. I welcome you to join me on this journey and support others who deal with any allergy-related condition.

The nutty hunt for safe chocolates

For over four years, I’ve been going nuts to find safe over-the-counter (OTC) chocolate products in a local convenience store. I love chocolate, all kinds with and without nuts. My daughter loves chocolate too, but without nuts.  A bite could prove fatal with her food allergies. This time of year we all go nuts about chocolate and buy heart-filled boxes with mysterious chocolate treats for our sweethearts. It is those mysterious chocolates that make me nuts every Valentine’s Day.

It’s easy to order chocolate, nut-free products from online stores like Indie Candy , Divvie’s and Vermont Nut Free Chocolates before the magical love day.  How many of us live in Vermont or even plan in advance for Valentine’s Day? Most of us just get some grab and go chocolates at an old fashioned brick and mortar store like a CVS or Target, especially if you are not allergic to nuts. While I used to be one of those grab and go people, this still drives me beyond nuts. As much as I would love to put my 6-year old in a nut-free chocolate bubble, I know it’s impossible. So, I’ve been a hunt to find safe OTC chocolates that anyone can share any time without a bit of nutty guilt.

The fact is most OTC nut-free chocolates are still manufactured in a facility that processes tree nuts or peanuts. And this still presents a risk for our nut allergic sweethearts. A simple bite could lead to a reaction of hives or more serious, such as difficulty breathing. This kind of anaphylactic reaction requires the life-saving device of an epi-pen. How many of us who are not allergic to nuts have an epi-pen handy? There is still a national debate about making epi-pens available in all schools who, typically host Valentine’s Day parties in the classrooms.  

In knowing we all love chocolate, Dove Chocolate started spreading some responsible love for us grab and go folks. It recently began using dedicated nut-free facilities for milk and dark chocolate products. I bought a few bars from our local CVS and tested the chocolate treats over the weekend during our waffle preps over breakfast. The smooth, silky milk chocolate melted with sweet flavor in our waffles, but it mostly melted my heart to treat my daughter with chocolate without going nuts. We’ll indulge in the white and chocolate milk swirl bar this Valentine’s Day, but I’m still on the hunt for safe OTC snack size versions for her entire class and for grab and go folks.  

A tribute to Allergy Mamas this Mother’s Day

“Mama, why do I have allergies?” That’s a question most of us allergy mamas will hear at some point as little ones grow and learn how to manage multiple types of allergies, especially food allergies. It is not an easy question to answer, particularly when the question is posed during events with nut-threatening cupcakes or crab claw cracking summer cookouts.  As an allergy mama, you are given special gifts to help ease anxiety, carry special treats and create a sense of connection during times when your child could feel isolated. Many could argue that is the gift of any mama. But being an allergy mama is the dairy-free icing on a nut-free cake.

On this Mother’s Day, I’m reminded of the gift of motherhood and want to take a moment to give special thanks to all of the allergy mamas and supporters who seek understanding the complex answers to one simple question, “Why do I have allergies?” Many of you are on a mission to find answers on how to best protect those you love, just like me - with an epi-pen in one hand and a phone in the other hand with doctors, caregivers and schools on speed dial.

As I reflect on a food allergy conference hosted by FAAN I recently attended a few weeks ago, it was clear that mothers are the conduit to create change and understanding. Now, there were many papas there too who are doing great work, but more on them around Father’s Day or future posts. I met many mothers, including a few Twitter followers, who shared personal experiences and have gone through great steps to get schools, caregivers, friends and relatives to understand and manage their children’s food allergies and other related conditions. One mother even paid for her child’s preschool teachers to attend the conference.  Allergy mamas have to truly go the extra mile to protect their children and educate others.

While I’ve been fortunate to work closely in partnership with my daughter’s school in managing her nasal allergies, food allergies and asthma, I know it’s not that easy as we unfortunately witnessed at Edgewater Elementary School in Volusia County, Florida. There are many other hurdles I understand you face while managing allergies in your children, including those that are life threatening.  It’s only appropriate that Food Allergy Awareness Week starts on Mother’s Day, May 8, through May 14. I’ll be on a mission to help increase understanding this week, but I hope you’ll join me on this lifelong journey by following The Allergy Mamas blog.

Through my experience and the shared experiences of others, I hope you’ll gain further insight and support our work to help businesses, communities and schools understand multiple allergies and related conditions.  There are many mamas on this journey, but I hope all mamas and mother figures take a moment to rest today and celebrate the impact you make in the lives of others.   

Happy Mother’s Day!

-Tia Howard, 
@theallergymama

Spring allergies drop a lesson of patience

Spring has sprung with beauty, but the allergy meds for my five year old are in full bloom unlike any other season since she was first diagnosed with multiple allergies and asthma.  After reading to my daughter’s class, The Princess and the Peanut Allergy, my daughter came up to me with swollen, bumpy eyelids and said she wanted to go home.   I was relieved to hear many kindergartners joyfully share knowledge about food allergies. I was even amazed at how one could describe his own nut allergies and properly pronounce a big juicy word like macadamia. Allergies have truly expanded our vocabulary at a young age.



One of many thank you notes from the class during Reader Day

But I knew my reminder lesson for the day would be more about my daughter’s spring allergies and not about her food allergies. Swollen, itchy eyelids are just the prelude response to pollen, which is the known culprit to trigger asthma attacks during this time of year. So, we made a quick visit to the school nurse for temporary eye wash relief and headed to the pediatrician.

The doctor listened to her lungs and heard no sounds of wheezing. Then she looked at the bumps around her puffy eyes and the eczema around her neck that suddenly reappeared after being dormant for months.   This is when she pulled out the prescription pad, tapped the screen of the electronic medical record and started typing away. Now, we’ve been through the spring song and dance of inhalers, hydrocortisone creams and antihistamines for two years. But, somehow we never needed the tune of allergy eye drops until this day.

Our doctor recommended an over-the-counter eye drop like, Zaditor, and prescribed another type of ophthalmic solution made by Alcon. Relieved to provide my daughter with some relief before the weekend filled with activities, I was ready to sprinkle a few drops of comfort only to my own discomfort and a true test of patience. 

Have you ever tried to give eye drops to a five year old? The maneuvers and tactics are unlike any other.

“Look this way. Tilt your head. Oops, open your eye. Let’s lay down. Okay, just imagine rain drops falling in your eyes. It’s like splashing in a pool.  Oh, I forgot you always wear goggles in the pool.” After many failed blinking attempts, we finally succeeded to get a drop in each eye. 

Within minutes she was smiling again. We made the best of her early dismissal day and went out for a late lunch. A day well spent in more ways than one after leaving the pharmacy. Four days later, her eyes are clear just in time for School Picture Day today. I’m relieved we’ve steered clear of any asthma issues thanks to understanding the trigger of pollen, but I’m still on high alert.

Today is World Asthma Day and this experience is a great reminder that pollen is one of many triggers for asthma attacks. You can control asthma and thrive through all seasons. Spring allergies are only for a season, but the will of a mama’s patience is a lifetime.

-Tia Howard

Follow me @theallergymama