How to avoid and treat poison ivy, oak and sumac

Now that school is out and summer is here, more people will be venturing into the woods to enjoy hiking, camping and other outdoor activities. Poison ivy, poison oak and poison sumac cause more allergic reactions than any other source, said Renee Miller, R.N., a certified specialist in poison information at the Tennessee Poison Center at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

The leaves, vines and roots all contain the oils that cause the reaction. "Only about 15 percent of people are resistant to these plants, and sensitivity tends to decrease with age," Miller said.

The most effective way to avoid an itchy reaction is to avoid coming into contact with the plant. Wearing long pants, long sleeves, gloves and boots will help. If a person is exposed to poison ivy, he or she should wash the area with soap and lukewarm water. "If you wash within the first 15 minutes of exposure, 100 percent of the oils can be washed away," Miller said. "If you wait an hour, zero percent can be washed away." Pets and clothes can also carry the oils.

Usually the rash shows up in 24 to 48 hours, but it can take longer or appear more quickly. "Once an exposure has occurred, topical steroids and antihistamines are the mainstay for treatment," Miller said. "Prescription cortisone can halt the reaction if used early." But once the reaction has progressed to the vesicular stage including small fluid-filled blisters, treatment with systemic steroids is the only effective option.

Crittenden County Elementary School is latest school in area to restrict nuts to protect the health of those with nut allergies

This story has been updated to include information about other Western Kentucky schools with nut restrictions.

Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are a lunchbox staple for many American children, but they can also pose a serious health risk to those with peanut and tree-nut allergies, especially in the young. The risk has prompted the Crittenden County school district to become the latest in the area to restrict the use of nuts at the Crittenden County Elementary School in Marion.

"Peanut and tree nut allergies plague an estimated 19 million Americans and the number of children with peanut allergies in the U.S. has nearly doubled in just over a decade," The Crittenden Press noted.

After researching the issue and how other schools have dealt with it, the school's parent-teacher council and wellness committee created a policy that restricts but doesn't ban nuts, the Press reports.

The policy asks everyone to be aware that nut products are dangerous to some of the students and asks them to not send those products to school, Principal Melissa Tabor told the Press. She said at least five students have proven nut allergies.

Several other Western Kentucky schools have peanut restrictions,Genevieve Postlethwait reports for The Paducah Sun, including Carlisle County and Fulton County schools, with Paducah and Hickman County schools having restricted peanuts for varying periods of time in the past. (Story is behind a pay wall.)

"We do it on a case-by-case, year-by-year basis," Penny Holt,the district's nutrition director, told Postlethwait of Paducah schools' approach to restricting peanuts and other allergens. "If a child has an allergy that is that serious, we're not going to risk it," she said, noting that they are seeing an increase in all kinds of food allergies.

Another school, Heath Elementary, has a child with an airborne peanut allergy so the school does not serve any peanut products or cook with any peanut products, Sara Jane Hedges, food services director for McCracken County schools. told Postlethwait. Students are still allowed to bring peanut butter products, but " "It's just taken care of very carefully," Hedges said.

Crittenden County Elementary school's policy does not require school personnel to check backpacks or lunchboxes for nut-containing products, but if they see children have one of these products, they ask them to sit at a designated table for that day, where they can ask a friend to join them.

The school sent home a list of nut-free snacks, including safe name brands that do not contain peanut oil, to help parents re-think what to pack in their child's lunch or to send for school snacks or for school parties.

So far, the principal said, parents have been receptive to the policy, and one parent told her that they had successfully switched to a soy butter that tastes like peanut butter because their child wants peanut-butter sandwiches for lunch.

The policy states that those with severe allergies to peanuts or nut products may be at great risk of anaphylactic shock, "an allergic reaction causing swelling, difficulty breathing, itching, unconsciousness, circulatory collapse and sometimes death," if they ingest or are exposed to these products.

"Because of the possibility of cross-contamination, a campus-wide, comprehensive avoidance of foods containing nuts was deemed to be the best solution to reduce the health risks to students with allergens," Tabor told the Press.

Crittenden County School Supt. Vince Clark told the weekly newspaper that he supports the school's policy, despite the argument that it creates a burden to parents of students who love peanut butter.

“There are valid points on each side of the issue,” he told the Press. “Ultimately, we have to support efforts to offer a safer learning environment for the children.” (Read more)

Midwest pollen count indicates that seasonal allergies are expected to be worse than usual this year

Seasonal allergy sufferers beware. Allergy season is officially here and is predicted to be worse than usual, says a news release from Chicago's Loyola University Health System.

image from healthguru.com

After weeks of evaluation, the Gottlieb Allergy Count, which is the official daily allergy count for the Midwest, has detected moderate pollen in the air at a time that is typically low.

Dr. Joseph Leija,  retired allergist who continues to conduct the official daily allergy count, said in the release that the long cold winter with heavy snow is likely to cause "a bad allergy season."

“The prolonged, fierce winter may mean that tree, grass and mold spores appear simultaneously early in the season, causing a triple threat," he said in the release. "Heavy snow means lots of moisture to nourish budding trees and plant life. The continued dampness also fosters the growth of mold."

Here are some allergy relief tips from WebMD :

• Take your shoes off at the door.
• Wipe down your dog's coat before it comes in the house.
• Wash your hair before bed.
• Close the windows and doors, especially on high-pollen days.
• Use the "recirculate" option in the car.
• Service the filters in your furnace and air conditioner.
• Use a dehumidifier to maintain a humidity level of less than 60 percent in your home.
• Check the daily pollen count and plan accordingly.
• If possible, have someone else mow the lawn.
• Avoid sitting outside around freshly cut grass.
• Dry your clothes in a clothes dryer, not on an outdoor line. 

“People with allergies or breathing difficulties should be proactive now to preserve health," Leija said in the release. "Consult your allergist, have the ducts cleaned on your air conditioning system and start taking your allergy medicine so that when things really heat up, you are protected."

Click here to get the daily pollen count in your county from pollen.com.

Lots of research has established that children with egg allergies can still get a flu shot; those with asthma especially should

Flu season can start as early as October, and  children with egg allergies are now encouraged to get a flu shot, especially if they have asthma, according to a news release from the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology.

Children with egg allergies may have been told in the past to not get a flu shot because of a possible reaction to trace amounts of eggs in which the vaccine is produced, but recent research now says that the vaccine is safe for these kids.

“We now know administration is safe, and children with egg allergies should be vaccinated,” Michael Foggs, president of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, said in the news release. “We recommend that, as with any vaccine, all personnel and facilities administering flu shots have procedures in place for the rare instance of anaphylaxis, a life-threatening allergic reaction.”

The release says "a large number of research studies published over the last several years have shown that thousands of egg-allergic children, including those with a severe life-threatening reaction to eating eggs, have received injectable influenza vaccine as a single dose without a reaction."

More than 21,100 children under the age of five are hospitalized annually because of the flu, with only 55 percent of children ages 5-17 getting a flu shot, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, says the release.

Foggs especially recommended that children with asthma get the vaccine, because even though they are not more likely to get the flu, it can be more serious for those with asthma, says the release.

"Children with asthma really need to get the flu vaccine," Foggs said in the release. “Asthma sufferers are among the most vulnerable because the flu compromises their airways even further than they already are.”

Prevention and preparation is the key to a productive year at school for kids with asthma (and that's 1 in 10 students)

By Melissa Patrick
Kentucky Health News

As the beginning of a new school year approaches, parents of children with asthma and allergies need to make sure that not only does their child recognize what triggers their symptoms and how to treat a flare-up, but also that their school knows what to do.

One of every 10 school-aged children in Kentucky has asthma, and these students miss an average of four school days each year, according to the Cabinet for Health and Family Services. Kentucky has one of the highest rates of asthma in the United States.

Nationally, more than 10 million kids under age 18 have asthma, 11 percent have respiratory allergies and about six percent have food allergies, according to according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. And on any given day, more than 10,000 kids miss school due to asthma.

Preventative care and avoiding triggers will help children miss fewer days in the classroom and will also allow them to be more productive in all of their activities, the college said in a news release.

“Parents need to be advocates for their kids, to help ensure they’re breathing well with clear minds and able to navigate the triggers that sometimes stand in their way,” Michael Foggs, president of the college. “If kids are having difficulty breathing, are sneezing, have runny noses and itchy eyes, and haven’t slept well the night before, they won’t perform at their best.”

Here are some tips to help with symptom-free days in the classroom and outdoors:

• Create an action plan with your allergist specific to your child's needs. Include medications, doses, triggers, early symptoms of flare-up and what to do if there is a flare up.&

• Share your child’s action plan with your child's teacher and whoever else might come into contact with your child every day. Discuss how independently your child is able to deal with their asthma, give them contact numbers for you and your child's doctor and be sure your child and school staff knows how to work the peak flow meter and how to administer medications, especially if your child needs assistance.

• Assess any triggers for your child at school: mold, dust mites, cockroaches, chalk dust, perfumes, cleaning products or other chemicals, animal dander, saliva or urine. Work on a plan to minimize these triggers.

• Discuss how to handle emergencies. Children who are at risk for a life-threatening allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) also should have epinephrine to use. Be sure your child and school staff know how to use emergency medications.

• If your child has food allergies, send a bagged lunch to school every day and instruct your child to not share foods, napkins or utensils.

• Make sure you have a plan for recess and sports activities. The American College of Allergy, Asthma, Asthma and Immunology says in the release that "asthma symptoms during exercise may indicate poorly-controlled medications."

• Pay attention to the pollen counts if your child is allergic to pollen; it is suggested to start medications two weeks prior to when the levels are at their worst.

Proper asthma control helps kids sleep better at night, spend more time in the classroom, experience less anxiety about their condition and fully participate in all school activities, according to kidshealth.org.