Food allergy is a serious condition that can threaten the lives of people especially students at school. Food allergy also known as food hypersensitivity is the immune system’s reaction to the types of food containing protein or other ingredients. Thus, a certified allergist is needed to diagnose food allergy.

The symptoms of food allergy may greatly vary among individuals because of different exposures to food allergens. The time of attacks and severity also depend on the reaction to the types of food that are eaten. Food allergy’s most common symptoms include: skin irritations like hives, eczema, and rashes; gastrointestinal symptoms like vomiting and diarrhea; and runny nose, breath shortness, and sneezing.

If not treated properly, severe reactions can lead to anaphylaxis, a fatal condition that requires instant medical attention. This is manifested by speedy onset of concurrent reactions such as hives, itching, swollen throat, difficult breathing, low blood pressure, and unconsciousness at some instances.

However, if food allergy management is incorporated, students can be handled without too much risk. The secret to its effectiveness lies on knowing and doing the responsibilities of the concerned parties. In this manner, students with food allergies are provided with a safe and sound educational environment.

The family of students with food allergy should notify the school about their condition. They must work with the school’s administration to create a plan on how to accommodate the needs of their children inside the classroom, cafeteria, post-care programs, school bus, FAAP (Food Allergy Action Plan), and sponsored activities in school. Medical instructions, documentations, and medications provided by the child’s physician through the FAAP must be submitted including photos.

Medicines must be disposed upon expiration or replaced after use with proper labels. Parents should educate their children about unsafe and safe types of food, strategies to avoid unsafe types of food, allergic symptoms, reading labels of types of food, and right time to tell adult once allergic symptoms occur. Review procedures and policies with your child, child’s physician, and school staff. Never forget to give contact information in case of emergency.

The school should be knowledgeable regarding federal laws and any district or state policies. They must review the student’s health records provided by their physicians and parents. They must create a school team which are composed of a school principal, nurses, teachers, school food services, counselor, and nutrition director to work effectively with both students and parents and establish a major prevention plan.

Students with food allergy must be included in all school activities. Fieldtrips and no eating rules on school busses must be thoroughly discussed with parents and administrators. School staff with direct contacts to the students knows about food allergy, recognizes its symptoms, coordinates with other staff to get rid of allergens in the meals, school projects, educational tools, or incentives of allergic students.

Proper coordination and cooperation of all school staff is needed so that FAAP becomes efficient and effective. All medications are properly secure and accessible within school premises. However, regulations stated in the federal laws must be strictly followed.

The students should never trade different types of food with other students, eat types of food without knowing its ingredients, participate actively on the FAAP, and immediately notify adults in cases of emergency.

Students can outgrow their food allergies through proper management. Making this as part of their daily activities can enhance safety as well as food enjoyment throughout their lives. Planning well and joining forces together will definitely end well.

Isn’t it annoying when you smell the delicious aroma of a meal only to find out that it has an ingredient to which you are allergic? Ah! The demise of every person with food allergies! It is no fun to watch other people devour food that seems so delicious but you can’t take part of the experience. How many times have you encountered comments like, great food isn’t? And sometimes you just can’t bear to admit you are allergic and just smile as if you knew how it tasted.

Then you try to ask questions, what is food allergy? What are causing these annoying symptoms? What’s happens inside the body during allergic reactions? Ah! Understanding ones own health condition will better help them accept and overcome whatever’s bothering them.

To start with, food allergy is unusual reaction to certain type of food allergen. An allergen is the substance or thing that causes the allergic reactions. Exposure to the allergen sets off the alarm in the human immune system which consequently releases antibodies to fight off the invasion of the perceived foreign body that is the food allergen. It then causes the symptoms you would see when you are in a state of allergic reaction.

The aforementioned is just an overview of the whole picture. Looking more closely, allergic reactions undergo two courses of action. The initial course is the release of immunoglobulin E or IgE by the immune system into the blood stream. IgE is a food-specific antibody and a protein that is the body’s immune defense against the food allergen.

Following the initial response is the attachment of the IgE to the mast cells. These mast cells are present in body tissues specially locations of the body where allergic reactions are common. These locations may include the lungs, skin, nasal and oral cavities, and the gastrointestinal system.

As for the food itself, you may have noticed that you are not just allergic to one type of food. There are instances that you experience an allergic reaction to oyster and then later you found out that you are also allergic to crabs and other seafoods. This occurrence is what medical professionals call cross-reactivity, wherein an individual can be allergic to closely related or similar types of foods.

The only way to deal with this unfortunate mishap is to try as best as you can to avoid the foods that set off allergic reactions in your body. There is no cure to food allergy but there are medications out there that can alleviate its symptoms. With the help of a medical health professional, you can be assisted in the ways you can avoid exposures to food allergens. Nutritionists may teach you alternative ingredients or foods to replace the food that will be eliminated from your diet. Also, make it a habit to check food labels for possible ingredients that you may be allergic with and do not hesitate to warn the restaurant employees, like the waiter, about your food allergy to prevent any unwanted accidents.

Individuals who are highly allergic are advised to put on medical alert necklaces or bracelets which declare your condition. As for the medications, some patients who are very vulnerable are also advised to bring with them at all times a self-injectible epinephrine, which is prescribed by the doctor, that can be of great help during sudden attacks of allergic reactions before seeking out for the assistance of an emergency team.

Other medications are antihistamines, bronchodilators, and corticosteroids. Antihistamines help improve symptoms of rhinitis, hives, rashes, and gastrointestinal problems. Corticosteroids alleviate the severity of inflammations of the skin and in other areas of the body. While bronchodilators are utilized to open up air passages of the respiratory tract that has become inflamed which would have resulted to breathing difficulties.

To understand more about your food allergies, you can consult your physician. There are also comprehensive books in the market that can be easily understood by just about anybody that has complete information about food allergies and how to fight it.

Everyone loves to eat but most are unaware of the fact the food they have can cause allergies. Foods can look attractive and be tasty too but it certainly is not worth the trouble when we consume such food and discover that we are allergic to them. Food allergies can cause swelling, itching and even death in some cases. Different types of foods can have different reactions in people. Foods like peanuts, and shell fish are known to cause allergies in many people. It is only after they have eaten it for the first time that many people discover that they are allergic to it. People can also develop allergies much later in their lives due to these foods.

The best way to avoid an allergic reaction to a particular food is to avoid the food that caused it in the first place. Though most of the symptoms of food allergies are similar to other allergies like running nose, swelling and watering of eyes, rashes and hives, other symptoms could be headaches caused by sinus infections, hearing problems with pain in the ears. Some food allergies can cause people to have anaphylactic attacks and even be the cause of sudden lowering of their blood pressure, breathing problems and even death.

Those who are allergic to certain foods should first determine what foods are causing allergic reactions in their bodies. Once they have made a list of the foods which they think is causing allergies in them they should avoid those foods in their diet. The doctor would be helpful in helping you to determine the exact food that is causing allergic reactions in your body by getting you to take a skin prick test.

Foods are made up of many ingredients and any one of these could be causing the allergies. So it is best to find out which ingredient is actually causing the allergy so that you can avoid it totally. In supermarkets you can read the labels on the food packets and find out if the particular ingredient that is causing food allergy to you is present. If it is present then it is best to avoid that food. But this is not possible when you eat in restaurants.

Children are the biggest sufferers of food allergies as they normally fail to remember what causes allergies in them and consume the food. If such children have an allergic reaction it is best to get help quickly so that it does not worsen further. A child who is prone to food allergies should wear a medical alert bracelet so that they can be saved if they accidentally consume foods that can cause allergies to them

Everyone of us love to eat a variety of food items ranging from fried, grilled, toasted, deep fried, etc. Is your mouth watering when I talk about food items? Hmmm….however, for some people, certain food items would create allergy and they should avoid eating such food items. What is food allergy? It is the immunologic effect that is caused by the existence of food proteins.

A simple search in any of the famous search engines will give you a list of books and materials that details about food allergy. I recently came across a book titled “5 Years without Food: The Food Allergy Survival Guide: How to Overcome Your Food Allergies and Recover Good Healthy.” An interesting book that explains what is food allergy and food items that would cause allergy. If you are allergic towards a certain food item, it doesn’t mean you will have to forfeit the nutrients that you would have got, am I rite? You also get to understand the food items that can be taken as a supplement or as an alternative. It also explains few treatments related to food allergy. Don’t forget to read the book.

Apart from the tips given in the book, I too have listed a few, which would benefit readers who are prone to food allergy.

In general, food items such as shellfish, fish, soya, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts may create allergy in adults. Does it mean kids are not allergic towards food items? Definitely not…Milk, eggs, peanuts are known to create allergies in children. It is always a good idea to be knowledgeable about the food item that are allergic to you.

A key to food items and allergies:

1. Allergic towards egg: A person who is allergic towards egg is said to be hypersensitive towards nutritional substances derived from eggs such as yolk or the white of egg, albumin, Globulin, eggnog, etc. This may result in overreaction of the immune system.

It is advisable to stay away from food items made with egg if you are allergic towards egg. However, you need not worry about not eating egg. Many subsititutes for egg are available in the market today, which includes potato starch, tapioca, etc., and you may use them without any trouble. You can even use apple sauce as an alternative to egg.

2. Allergic towards tree nuts: What is tree nut allergy? Hypersensitive towards tree nuts is said to be called as tree nut allergy. Don’t confuse yourself with tree nuts and peanuts allergy. Both are different. Dry fruits are believed to be tree nuts where as peanuts are legumes. Children are prone to nut allergies than adults.

You can use soy nuts as an alternative to tree nuts. If you are of the opinion that soy nut is a nut, I would like to clarify a point here. It is not a nut, but actually soybean that goes through the procedure of soaking, which is then baked to get the crispy soy nut.

3. Allergy towards milk substances: Are you allergic towards proteins that are present in cow’s milk? If yes, you are allergic towards milk substances.

You may use rice milk or soy milk as a substitute to cow’s milk. This way you get the nutrients that you would have got from taking cow’s milk.

4. Allergic towards seafood: Allergy created by the intake of food items such as scaly fishes, crustaceans or shellfishes is termed as allergic towards seafood.

The best way is to stay away from seafoods. If you use a lot of canned food items, ensure that they don’t contain ingredients that are made of seafood.

Be picky about the food items that you eat. This may help you surmount the allergic reaction. Certain allergies can be cured in a short period of time; however, you can’t treat certain food allergies in your entire life span.

Anxiety- Best Way to Cure Yourselves

“Get over it” or “Smarten up” is that what we tell, or at least think, when one of our friends or a family member has let a situation or event linger? Do we ever consider that they may not be able to just get over it or smarten up; they may be dealing with a real illness and need real help, not criticism.

Anxiety Disorder is a real illness, and is the most common mental health problem in the United States. According to the American Psychiatric Association, more than 25 million Americans suffer from these disorders. Children as well as adults are afflicted. There are several types of anxiety disorders such as Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Panic Disorder, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), and Phobias.



Anxiety creates stress for all of us, at some time, to varying degrees, but it becomes a disorder when it can no longer be seen as rational, or it is adversely affecting someone’s life. Individuals suffer extreme worry, anxiety, panic, or an overwhelming fear of losing control as well as physical symptoms. Anxiety disorders hinder people from living their daily life, let alone enjoying it to the fullest.

If you, or anyone you know, suffer from the following symptoms of anxiety disorder , it is advisable to encourage and/or seek out medical attention. Here is a list of the more common symptoms of the above anxiety disorders:



PTSD

- Overwhelming feeling of panic or fear

- Flashback/reliving of traumatic event

- Nightmares

- Insomnia



Generalized Anxiety Disorder

- Uncontrollable worrisome thoughts about everyday things, without just cause, often exaggerated, lasting for six months.

Although, treatment may be warranted earlier

- Irritability

- Trouble falling or staying asleep



Panic Disorder

- Overwhelming feeling of panic

- Avoidance of people or places

- Fear of losing control



OCD

- Obsessive thoughts, such as germ contamination

- Repetitive actions, such as washing hands or checking if

windows are locked

- Repeating phrases, numbers etc…

Phobias

- Fear that triggers intense anxiety



Many physical symptoms add to the difficulty of anxiety disorders. The following anxiety disorder symptoms spread across much of the disorders. Many people feel nauseous, or their heart races so fast that they feel like they cannot breathe. They often have headaches, feel dizzy, sweat or have chills. Shaking or trembling as well as heavy tension and achy muscles are part of the regular regimen. As well, for someone with an anxiety disorder, chronic sleep problems plague him or her. It becomes a vicious cycle.

Sleep is an essential requirement for good health, both mental and physical. Not getting enough sleep can result in poor work or school performance, impaired judgment and decreased attentiveness, which could result in injury. In addition, some medications given to treat anxiety can cause insomnia, thus the cycle continues.

Often treatment is avoided due to the stigma attached to mental illness. People try to deal with matters themselves. They hear, “Where’s your willpower?” or “All you need is a kick in the butt.”

There are many effective anxiety disorder treatments available. The National Institute of Mental Health states some of the antidepressant medications that have been effective in treatment. Psychotherapy is also recommended in the form of Behavioral Therapy and Cognitive-behavioral Therapy. It is a good idea to discuss treatment options with your doctor.

On a last note, we, as fellow human beings, need to support all people. Lift the stigma of mental illness and help others and ourselves. We need to take the time to put ourselves in someone else’s shoes before we judge. We also need to understand that mental illness can happen to anyone, at anytime.

There are many essential oils that can be extracted from plants flowers, roots and herbs. Many of them are therapeutic and can be used to promote healing in patients. They can be used for massage but should be used by professionals as when used incorrectly can harm and burn the skin. These oils can be mixed with massage oils and used to enhance the massage therapy experience. An example of this is lavender, which can help to relax the patient.

These oils should always be diluted when used on the skin as they can have toxic effects if used incorrectly. Here are some common plants that can be used as essential oils for massage therapy.

Chamomile: has long been used for medicinal and cosmetic purposes but can also be used for massage therapy. Its oil has a calming effect, which will in turn help the patient to relax and make massage therapy more effective.

Grapefruit oil: will also act as a calming agent

Juniper: relaxes muscles

Lavender: has a calming effect, be careful not to overuse, as it could become a stimulant.

Peppermint: is refreshing oil with a clean stimulating smell. It is good for many things including painful muscle relief.

Rosemary: relieves pain, headache and promotes circulation. The oil can be used as a stimulant.

These are just a few of the many oils that can be used with massage therapy. They are often used in blends.

Chamomile, geranium and grapefruit: This has a soothing effect. This will help the patient relax their muscles and make the massage therapy, more effective.

Chamomile, lavender and grapefruit: Relieves pain, anxiety. This will help to relieve stress. This is very useful for massage therapy when you need to relieve tension and relax.

Grapefruit, juniper and rosemary: Stimulates circulation and digestion; relieves jet lag. This acts as a stimulant.

Lavender, rosemary and juniper: This is used for pain relief and detoxification and can be used after sports massage. It is useful for after event massage therapy.

Peppermint, rosemary and geranium: This oil relieves pain and strengthens muscles. This is good for massage therapy when it is used for healing injuries.

As you can see there are many essential oils that can be used for massage therapy, to relax and stimulate the patient. They help to enhance the therapy experience and make the massage more effective. So when you next try a massage take pleasure in the extra enjoyment of using these essential oils and benefit from the added therapy of Aromatherapy.