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HOLIDAY ALLERGIES

By: Pamela Parker   |  November 18, 2021

As holiday party invitations roll in and preparations for hosting thanksgiving dinners and Christmas parties get underway, celebrations promise to be extra special this year after two long years of Covid distancing.

However, the season of sharing also often raises the likelihood of cross contaminating foods, resulting in a spike in allergic reactions to food and other triggers. 

So how do parents keep their kids safe while having a wonderful time reconnecting with loved ones? 

“Dr. Sanjeev Jain, founder of Bay Area-based Columbia Allergy, the nation’s leading network of renowned allergists and immunologists specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of children and adults with environmental and food allergies, shares his tips on treatments and precautions with our readers.



What should parents be on the lookout for?
A child with asthma and eczema, or a family history of asthma, eczema and food allergies are the ones who are most likely to develop a food allergy. 

To be prepared for a milder reaction, it may be a good idea to keep a safe dose of Benadryl or a non-sedating antihistamine like Zyrtec with you at all times. That way if any potential food allergy symptoms occur, parents can start treating the reaction immediately. 

Please keep in mind that the only way to fully treat a life threatening anaphylactic reaction is with epinephrine, so if your child develops difficulty breathing, a change in level of consciousness, facial swelling, multiple episodes of vomiting, or a reaction involving 2 systems (like the skin and respiratory system) you should call 911 immediately.

Common food allergy symptoms in children can include hives, swelling, vomiting, diarrhea, and anaphylaxis. If your child is experiencing any potential food allergy symptoms, it is important to identify the cause so that the food can be avoided or the allergy can be treated to prevent an additional reaction of worsening or life-threatening severity. Some milder food allergies may also cause more subtle symptoms like an eczema flare, abdominal pain and cramping, and fussiness.

Columbia Allergy has successfully desensitized patients to nearly every food allergen imaginable through Dr. Jain’s Method of oral immunotherapy (OIT), a unique approach to multi-food allergy desensitization. Columbia Allergy also specializes in treating asthma, hay fever, medication allergy, eczema, atopic dermatitis, and a wide range of allergies. Curious about Columbia Allergy's breakthrough desensitization treatments for common allergens? Book a complimentary 30-minute discovery session with a patient advocate through www.columbiaallergy.com or by calling our Redwood City office at 650-503-9770.

 
What are your tips for parents to be better prepared for allergic reactions in their kids?

For those suffering from seasonal allergies this fall and winter, over-the-counter medications can help to alleviate mild to moderate allergy symptoms. 



Non-sedating antihistamines such as Zyrtec and Claritin are a great way to provide daily symptom relief. If you are experiencing primarily nasal symptoms, you can also take a more localized approach and use medications like Flonase or a saline spray to help reduce inflammation and irritation of the nasal passages. Similarly, eye drops such as Zaditor or lubricating eye drops can help to reduce irritation and inflammation in the eyes. If you are looking for natural ways to cope with and treat allergies, the most effective method would be to reduce or eliminate exposure to the known allergens. This can be done through the methods described above. 

If you do not know what you are allergic to, we recommend undergoing allergy testing so that you can have a more targeted approach to avoiding the allergens.

Depending on the severity of your symptoms and your specific needs, you may be a candidate for subcutaneous (allergy shots), sublingual (SLIT) or ultrasound-guided intralymphatic immunotherapy (ILIT). These immunotherapy treatments introduce a controlled amount of the known allergens into your body. These amounts are gradually increased over time so that your body can be trained to not recognize the substances as a threat and can provide long-term relief and prevention of the symptoms instead of just the short-term symptomatic treatment that OTC meds provide.  Patients can also try to maintain a diet rich in Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Vitamin E, Zinc, Fish Oil and Fiber. Research has shown that these vitamins and minerals help to promote regular immune function. 



Antihistamines provide great symptomatic relief, but there are also other ways to prevent and manage environmental allergy symptoms.Patients with allergies to pets, mold, dust mites, and other indoor allergens can experience an increase in symptoms when these allergy inducing particles become airborne. 

The use of a small-particle or high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter in the home can help trap these allergens to reduce a person’s exposure while indoors especially when particles are more likely to be airborne such as during vacuuming, using a fan, or using central heating or air conditioning. When there is reduced exposure to a known allergen, a patient will be less likely to experience symptoms such as sneezing, itchy and runny nose, cough, itchy and watery eyes, and postnasal drip.

Hypoallergenic bedding and pillow covers, washing bedding on hot, using a vacuum with a HEPA filter, and keeping windows closed during periods with high pollen counts can also help reduce exposure to allergens found within the home. Keeping windows closed on days with high pollen counts can also help reduce exposure. Patients suffering from nasal symptoms such as congestion, sneezing and a runny nose can try using a saline nasal rinse to flush out irritating allergens from the sinus passages.

FOOD, FAMILY AND FRIENDS


 
What can we do to mitigate and prevent allergic reactions at parties?
For individuals with food allergies, it can become more difficult to avoid allergic foods as holiday parties or thanksgiving dinners often include many homemade dishes and treats. If you or someone in your family has a food allergy, it is always best to inform the host and guests at a communal holiday event.

Some patients with a severe food allergy can experience a reaction after touching the food allergen or even inhaling small airborne particles of the food. If this is the case, best practice would be to avoid cooking any foods that contain the known food allergen and to wash all dishes and cookware well before using to ensure no residue of the allergens remain.

 If complete avoidance of cooking with the allergen is not possible, special allergy-free dishes can be prepared or brought for the person with a milder food allergy. If there are allergy-free foods available, these foods should be well labeled and set aside so that no cross-contamination occurs.

As a precaution, the person with a food allergy should always carry their epinephrine  auto-injector with them as well as some over-the-counter allergy medications to manage an accidental reaction should one occur. 

The  Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 Vaccines have been making news as a few patients have reported anaphylactic reactions to the vaccinations. Columbia Allergy is here to help! If you have a suspected allergy to polyethylene glycol, we recommend that allergy testing is performed in our office before receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. If you are found to have a true allergy to polyethylene glycol or polysorbate, our specialists at Columbia Allergy have a safe and effective protocol for desensitizing your immune system to this substance.  The desensitization treatment consists of approximately one six-hour appointment during which you will receive injections of polyethylene glycol or polysorbate, starting with a very small amount and working your way up to the amount you need to tolerate in order to safely receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Once you are successfully desensitized to polyethylene glycol or polysorbate, you are eligible to receive your COVID-19 vaccine within the next 24 hours or so.

When should parents take their kids in to see an allergist? 
If your child has poorly controlled asthma or eczema, frequent stomach aches, a persistent cough, severe environmental allergies, food allergies, or other allergy symptoms we recommend you make an appointment with a local allergist to determine the source of the symptoms.

The allergist will order some allergy tests like labs and a skin prick test to determine which allergens are causing symptoms.

They will use the results of these tests combined with your personal history to determine the best plan for your child. If your child is suffering from environmental allergies, they may be a candidate for sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT), precision immune targeting (ILIT), or allergy shots (SCIT). 

For those found to have a food allergy, they may be a candidate for food allergy desensitization services at Columbia Allergy which include SLIT and oral immunotherapy (OIT). 

Dr. Jain was the first allergist in the world to use oral immunotherapy for desensitization to multiple food allergies simultaneously. Since then, he’s honed the treatment to a clinic-wide method of multi-food allergy desensitization. Known as “The Dr. Jain Method” of OIT, this approach has successfully treated over 2,000 patients who suffer from food allergies. Columbia Allergy has performed more OIT treatments than almost any other allergy practice in the country, and all providers are trained directly under Dr. Jain and his method. Columbia Allergy has 16 offices in northern California, Oregon, Washington and Idaho. The latest clinic opened last month in Redwood City.

Pamela Parker lives in Mill Valley with her husband, son and cat. She began her journalism career writing for financial and legal magazines in Sydney, Australia. After spending almost a decade Down Under, she moved to Singapore where she worked as a TV news producer for BBC World News and local broadcaster Channel News Asia. She co-currently serves as Editor-in-chief of The Crier and on the board as the 2021 President-Elect.

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