Readers have often alluded to the strains that the daily vigilance of dealing with a child’s food allergies or celiac disease can put on a marriage, and Carolyn plans to explore the biggest issues, and help to find ways to reduce the tensions. We hope this article can help to get parents working as a team again.

If you have a story of struggling to get your spouse on the same page because of food allergies, or you’re finding it hard to manage a joint custody arrangement with allergic kids, we’d appreciate hearing about it. We want the positive too: maybe you’ve got advice on how you keep a marriage healthy with a child with food allergies or celiac disease? That would be most helpful as well.

Write to us at editor@allergicliving.com – and please use “Marriage and Allergy” in the subject line. As we appreciate that some stories may be highly personal, you can ask to have a pseudonym used in the article if Carolyn approaches you for an interview.

Thanks very much to all who participate. It is the stories of what happens in “real life” that allow Allergic Living to take specific examples to the experts and get the most helpful advice for finding the way out of challenging situations. And ultimately, it is always these stories that hit home with our readers.

Thanks again for your time and support.

Best regards,

Gwen

Editor, Allergic Living

CBS has put the actress and her character detective Jackie Curatola on a leave of absence. In a statement to the TV website Deadline.com, CBS Studios said:  “Jennifer has informed us that she is only available to work on a very limited part-time schedule. As a result, she’s unable to perform the demands of her role and we regretfully had to put her character on a leave of absence.”

Esposito took to Twitter on October 20, to accuse the network of “shameful behavior”, saying that: “CBS put me on unpaid leave and has blocked me from working anywhere else after my doc said ‘you needed a reduced schedule due to celiac’. CBS didn’t listen to my doc and I collapsed on set. Which everyone saw!”

She further says that once she was cleared to return to work, “CBS implied that I was not truly ill and this was a scheme to get a raise!”

Esposito has been a vocal advocate of celiac disease awareness, speaking out about the many years it took her to get diagnosed and the struggles she had faced before going gluten-free with extreme fatigue, gastrointestinal distress and hair loss.

In reply to some critical comments on one article about the dispute with CBS, Esposito elaborated on her current celiac-related health issues: “I can work on a limited schedule due to the vitamin IVs I need three times a week because I don’t absorb [nutrients and], due to the exhaustion from that as well.”

Esposito blogs at the site Jennifersway.org, where she shares advice and recipes.

Comment on CBS’s actions here.
View Esposito’s documentary on life with celiac here.

Seven states and the District of Columbia have been named to AAFA’s Honor Roll this year. AAFA sends congratulations to: Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Indiana, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington.

Click through to AAFA’s site to view an interactive map and detailed reports for all 50 states and D.C., comprehensive reports for the Honor Roll states as well as study methodology.

Allergy Foundation Releases Annual “Fall Allergy Capitals” Rankings, Louisville is #1

WASHINGTON, Sept. 27, 2012 – Fall is a time to enjoy beautiful colors and autumn weather outdoors. But for 40 million Americans with seasonal allergies, this time of year brings an unwelcome harvest: trillions of pollen particles traveling through the air right into your eyes, nose and mouth. Allergic rhinitis – also called nasal allergies, seasonal allergies or hay fever – is among the most common chronic diseases for children and adults, affecting more than 12 percent of the U.S. population.

The primary fall allergy trigger – ragweed pollen – causes itchy runny nose, nasal congestion, repeated sneezing, watery eyes, inflamed sinuses and, in severe cases, difficulty breathing. It can be more problematic if you also have asthma.

The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) recently announced its 2012 Fall Allergy Capitals™ ranking, and Louisville, Kentucky, tops the list as “the most challenging place to live with fall allergies.” The annual report names 100 U.S. cities based on an analysis of three factors including pollen, allergy medications usage and the number of allergy specialists per patient. See the full list at www.AllergyCapitals.com.

 The Top 10 Fall Allergy Capitals

“Everyone seems to be feeling allergies these days and fall is the most common allergy season after spring,” says Dr. Beth Corn, a Board Certified Allergist in New York City and a member of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI). “No matter if it’s men, women or children, in the city, suburbs or the country, allergies don’t discriminate,” says Corn.

However, AAFA is quick to remind that no matter what city you live in allergies can be a problem all year long, indoors as well as outdoors. According to Brian Oliver, a spokesperson for AAFA, “With a little bit of planning and some good cleaning habits, you can keep your home as allergy-friendly as possible.” AAFA offers these tips no matter where you live:

1. Keep windows and doors closed to prevent pollen from blowing into the house.
2. Control dust mites on the bed. Look for a Certified asthma & allergy friendly mattress, like the Breathe mattress from Spring Air, and wash sheets weekly in hot water (130 degrees F) to kill mites and their eggs.
3. Use a quality vacuum that has a high-efficiency filter weekly to keep indoor allergens to a minimum.
4. Change the air filter in your furnace regularly. Filters can trap lots of dust and allergens, so replace them every 30-90 days. Look for Certified asthma & allergy friendly filters, like Lysol brand air filters.
5. Reduce the presence of mold by decreasing moisture around the house, keeping humidity below 50% and clearing the yard of damp firewood and leaves.

About AAFA

AAFA is the leading patient organization for people with asthma and allergies in the U.S. The asthma & allergy friendly™ Certification Program is a joint project of AAFA and Allergy Standards Limited (ASL), an international research and testing organization. Learn more at www.aafa.org/certified.

]]> http://allergicliving.com/index.php/2012/10/09/aafas-fall-allergy-capitals-louisville-is-no-1/feed/ 0 http://allergicliving.com/index.php/2012/10/09/alarming-lack-of-allergy-vigilance-with-babies-study/ http://allergicliving.com/index.php/2012/10/09/alarming-lack-of-allergy-vigilance-with-babies-study/#comments Tue, 09 Oct 2012 22:18:41 +0000 Patrick Bennett http://allergicliving.com/?p=14756 A new study paints a worrisome picture of the state of food allergy management in children, including a lack of vigilance by some parents and caregivers – and even intentional exposures to allergens.

The study, published in the medical journal Pediatrics (July 2012 edition), followed 512 infants between the ages of three months and 15 months over three years. The results were alarming: 72 percent of infants experienced at least one reaction during the test period, while 53 percent had at least two. The annualized reaction rate was nearly one per year, and the most common reason for a reaction was a lack of vigilance.

In 51 percent of the reactions, the food was provided by a caregiver other than a parent. What’s worse, in some cases the allergic reactions experienced were no accident: 11 percent of reactions to milk, egg, or peanut where the result of an allergen-containing food being “knowingly provided” to a child.

The researchers were taken aback by the finding: “We didn’t expect that anybody would do that,” says Dr. Scott Sicherer of the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, who was a lead investigator.

In fact, this behavior was discovered by accident: only after reading the questionnaires provided to parents did researchers find out this was occurring. It emerged that some people were self-testing their children for allergies; Sicherer stresses that such tests should not be tried outside a doctor’s office.

As well, epinephrine was only used in 30 percent of the 134 severe reactions that occurred. This was largely attributed to lack of education: 15 percent of parents or caregivers were either afraid or unsure whether to inject. Sicherer notes that epinephrine is the medicine of choice in a serious reaction, and a very safe drug to use.

Researchers continue to monitor this group and hope to learn more about the reasons for the allergen exposures. Sicherer says the study shows the serious need to bolster education and vigilance. Parents must ensure that anyone taking care of their child practices proper precautions and has the know-how to deal with a reaction.

From the Fall 2012 edition of Allergic Living magazine.

Dr. Joseph Murray, lead author of the study published in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, said the results clearly show that celiac patients are not being tested frequently enough to ensure that no complications have arisen due to the disease. For example, osteoporosis and anemia may develop if patients are continuously exposed to even small amounts of gluten. Since strict avoidance of the protein is difficult, testing is crucial.

In a news release, Dr. Murray said, “It should not be different from other chronic conditions for which medical follow up is a given such as liver disease, inflammatory bowel disease or even gastroesophageal reflux disease. Anecdotally, patients with celiac disease often feel they are on their own in the management of celiac disease.”

The study looked at data on 122 celiac patients who were diagnosed between 1996 and 2006 and the number of follow-up exams they received between six months and five years after their initial diagnosis.

Dr. Margot Herman, who also worked on the study, said in a video that the American Gastroenterological Association’s guidelines recommend that celiac patients to receive periodic visits with a clinician, dietitian, as well as blood and other testing. But in reality, she notes, in a five-year period, only about one-third of patients receive this kind of care.

As well, fewer than a quarter of the patients in the study had bone density scans  in the five years after diagnosis. “It was remarkable how little follow-up these people were getting,” Dr. Herman said.

“Our study points out an area for improvement in medicine, and particularly for these patients in terms of their long-term disease management,” she said.

Optimal bone health depends on getting sufficient levels of calcium and vitamins D and K. Calcium and vitamin K may be consumed through foods, but vitamin D is primarily produced when we are exposed to the sun.

In the University of Alberta study, the vitamin K levels of the 43 participating children were a bit low, but the children were able to improve those by eating foods such as leafy green vegetables. However, the children live in northern Alberta, where they get only a few months a year of adequate sun exposure, which explains the lack of sufficient vitamin D.

Diana Mager, one of the study’s main researchers, told Allergic Living that this deficiency would probably extend to other children with celiac disease who don’t have adequate sun exposure: “I would expect to see the same effects of reduced sunlight exposure and suboptimal vitamin D status in other parts of Canada and in the northern United States,” she said. “Suboptimal vitamin D status is highly prevalent in North America.”

Mager also says that since much of the human skeleton is formed during childhood, lack of essential nutrients could present problems down the line. She cautioned parents of children who may be at risk of celiac disease to pay attention to their kids’ bone health. “Children with celiac disease may appear to be growing well but they can still have very bad bone health,” she said.

Anyone shopping for gluten-free pasta will tell you that many rice, corn and other noodles fall apart or don’t have quite the right taste or texture when compared to wheat flour pasta. However, a majority of taste-testers – 25 with celiac disease and 50 without – liked the pasta made from ground bananas, egg whites and xanthan and guar gums.

Raquel Botelho, one of the dietititians from the University of Brasilia who worked on the formula, told Reuters that green banana flour may also present a great option for gluten-free breads, biscuits and pizza dough. For now, the team must try to get the pasta from the lab to the grocery store shelf.

The bonus? This celiac-friendly pasta has fewer calories and less fat than whole wheat pasta and would be much cheaper than other gluten-free pastas. Now that’s something any grandmother would be happy about!

If necessary, the counselors may put the auto-injector in the child’s hand and “guide” it.

Jean-Pierre Ménard, a Quebec lawyer who specializes in medical rights, told Le Journal de Québec newspaper that the rule – intended to protect the counselors against liability – contravenes Canada’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms, since the Charter says that every human being whose life is in danger has the right to be saved. In addition, he says this “incomprehensible” rule should instead have the City of Quebec worried about prosecution for instructing caregivers, in essence, not to save a child’s life.

Similar restrictive camp policies have arisen in some parts of the United States.

Gervais Bélanger, director-general of Asthme & Allergies Québec, says he finds the day camp rules for not administering auto-injectors “inexplicable”and “unjustified” – since this puts the onus on allergic campers between the ages of 4 and 12 to self-inject at a time when they are having an anaphylactic reaction. (Epinephrine is an emergency medication, and it would be rare for a young child to self-inject.)

Bélanger is one of the members of the Coalition for Megann’s Law, which is urging the Quebec government to pass a law on school food allergy accommodations that would include school staff auto-injector training and preparedness to act in an allergy emergency.

On behalf of the coalition, he has written letters to the Quebec camping association and to the president of the Office of Professions of Quebec, the provincial agency that reviews the regulations adopted by various organizations. Bélanger makes these groups aware of a regulation amendment that the Quebec College of Physicians proposed in June to allow non-medical persons to administer epinephrine auto-injectors.

The College of Physicians has a 45-day commenting period on changes, so while its proposed amendment will clarify the rules for non-medical people caring for allergic children and ultimately should have a positive impact on day camp rules, it won’t help parents and campers this summer.

AllergySafeTravel.com, a new online travel resource for those with food allergies, is preparing to shoot a video this summer in the western suburbs of Chicago.

They are looking for people, both children and adults, who have had reactions to nuts on airplanes.

They’re also looking for individuals who have never flown before because of the nut issue.  This footage will be used during a presentation to the airlines association this fall.

It’s a great opportunity to tell your story to those who have the ability to make policy changes within the airline industry.  If you or someone you know might be interested, please contact Amy at Amy@AllergySafeTravel.com.

In addition to the video, AllergySafeTravel.com recently launched a Facebook page – Allergic Reactions on Airlines – for those who don’t live in the Chicago area and who wish to upload their own video story.