I’ve been contemplating my posts for this week for quite some time. What issues should I cover? Who should I reach out to? How can I positively raise awareness for food allergies?
Finally, my husband and I worked together and came up with the following slogan for this week’s posts: “Be Aware. Be Prepared. Don’t Scare.” It’s short, sweet, and covers just about everything.
For information on how to “Be Aware,” please take a few minutes to read my previous post.
Today, let’s focus on how we can “Be Prepared.”
In my opinion, it is critical for those with and without food allergies to be prepared. The number of individuals diagnosed with food allergies is on the rise and it is imperative that we, as a community, know how to educate, protect, and take action.
If you or someone you know has food allergies, here are some great tips on being prepared:
Medication and Emergency Forms
- ALWAYS carry your prescribed epinephrine autoinjector (and antihistamine medicine your allergist prescribes you). Always check for money-saving coupons like these for the EpiPen.
- Register your medications online (if they offer that service). EpiPen will allow you to register your epinephrine injector and set a reminder for when you need to refill the subscription. This is especially handy for those prescriptions sent off to school.
- Download the EpiPen app available on iTunes. The app provides a short video demonstration of how to administer an adrenaline auto injector, a picture-based user guide to walk you through the administration of the auto injector, and multiple allergy profiles complete with offending allergens and symptoms that may indicate an allergic emergency. My favorite part of the app is that it allows you to share the allergy profiles you create with anyone via email. This means you can email it to grandparents, aunts, uncles, babysitters, teachers, soccer coaches, and everyone in between.
- Download and print the new Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Emergency Care Plan from FARE (Food Allergy Research and Education) here. Don’t forget to include a color picture! I usually make several copies at the beginning of the school year and give two to each of my child’s teachers: one for them and one for their sub folder. I also provide one to the school nurse.
- Store your epinephrine wisely and accessibly. My son carries his EpiPen via the SPIbelt, an amazing product that works beautifully for him and is very durable.
- Consider a medical ID bracelet. My son has a medical bracelet we purchased from Survival Straps and we have been extremely happy with it.
Food
- ALWAYS read and reread labels. It is not uncommon for a company to change their ingredients or the labeling of their ingredients. Need help learning how to read labels? Read this document from FARE to brush up.
- Bake and freeze. The freezer is my friend…and it should be yours too. I bake safe versions of cookies, breads, and even casseroles and then freeze so there are safe foods available at a moment’s notice. It comes especially in handy when mom is sick, because all dad has to do is warm and serve.
- Consider purchasing allergy cards such as these from FARE to help you and others identify potential allergens when grocery shopping and dining out. I keep these in my wallet and find them extremely helpful!
- Plan ahead. Whether you are going out to eat, to visit relatives in the next town over, or on a vacation half way across the country…make sure you research and plan ahead of time. It will make traveling so much easier and more pleasant. (Check out some of our great vacation posts on this blog.)
Don’t forget to share this post with someone for Food Allergy Awareness Week and look for more posts coming soon!
The Food Allergy Mom 