Doctors offer holiday hints for allergy-prone

Doctors offer holiday hints for allergy-prone
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Family feasts, air travel andeven moldy Christmas trees make the holiday season a risky timefor allergy sufferers, the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma& Immunology (AAAAI) warns.
So it's particularly important for people with allergies orasthma to anticipate potential triggers for their condition atthis time of year, and to be prepared by bringing asthma orallergy medication along while traveling. Medications must beon hand in a person's carry-on luggage or purse rather thanstowed with checked baggage, the AAAAI advises.
"Always have your as needed medicine as well as your dailymedicine," says Dr. Pamela Georgeson, president and CEO of theKenwood Asthma and Allergy Center in Chesterfield Township,Michigan and an AAAAI spokesperson. People traveling by airshould either have a note from their doctor or the prescriptionlabel on their medication with them, she added, so they won'thave any trouble making it through airport security.
And people with food allergies are now advised to carry notone but two Epi-pens for treating a severe allergic reaction,Georgeson said, because as many as 30 percent of patients mayhave a second reaction up to eight hours after the first.
Just being on an airplane can dry out the nasal passages,making people with asthma more prone to catching respiratoryinfections, which can in turn worsen asthma symptoms. "If theyhave underlying inflammation due to asthma, they just pick upthe bug faster and it causes more problems," adovrg.nakar, anallergist and immunologist at Children's Mercy Hospital inKansas City, Missouri, and a spokesperson for the AAAAI.
Holiday treats can contain hidden nuts, dairy or other foodallergy triggers, notes Dinakar, so make sure hosts know aboutany food allergies you have; it may make sense to bring yourown home-made dessert, she added.
If an animal-allergic person is visiting a pet owner'shome, Dinakar advised, he or she should take asthma medicationbefore arriving there.
Christmas decorations can be full of dust and mold whenthey're brought out of storage, Dinakar said. They should becleaned outdoors, if possible, she said, while clothdecorations should be washed in soapy water. Georgeson pointedout that Christmas trees that have been cut in the fall andstored in damp conditions frequently carry mold. "People whoare exquisitely sensitive to mold have real issues with that,"she said. However, freshly cut trees aren't usually a problem.
More AAAAI holiday tips for people with asthma andallergies:
* Try to keep stress, which can trigger an asthma attack,to a minimum.
* Bring along your own pillow with an allergen-proof cover,or ask for non-down pillows if you're staying at a hotel orwith a relative or friend. Down pillows harbor more dust mitesthan pillows with synthetic fill.
* If you're using artificial snow spray to decorate, followinstructions carefully; the spray can be a lung irritant.
* Request that your hosts refrain from burning wood intheir fireplace while you are at their home, as breathing woodsmoke can lead to an asthma attack.