Get ready to Avoid Holiday Allergies
For quinceaneras with asthma and allergies, the holidays present health challenges unique to the fall and winter seasons. Busier-than-usual social schedules, chilly weather and cherished family customs combined make staying healthy a daily priority for sensitive people.
Surviving—and enjoying—the holidays and your own quince party is easier when you plan ahead and take preventive action. Here are some tips to help prepare your quince action plan for the holidays so that you’ll look back on this season with joy instead of relief.
Food Allergies: How to Plan
From Halloween through New Year’s day, the holidays are filled with foods to be avoided by people with food allergies. Children, especially, need to be protected from certain candies and foods that cause allergic reactions. Inform family members and friends of special diet restrictions so that there will be plenty of “safe” food to eat at holiday get-togethers. Prepare allergy-free snacks and meals in advance; freeze or store as much food as possible so that busy work and school schedules don’t erode healthy eating habits.
Eating away from home requires advance planning to prevent potential allergic reactions. Take time to check restaurant menus before eating out. Call the hostess or manager and have them help you identify menu items the allergic person can safely eat. Offer to bring allergen-free dishes that complement meals hosted by friends or relatives to make sure that everyone enjoys these special events.
If you or a family member have food allergies, have an epinephrine injection kit with you at all times because this busy season includes events, which almost always feature food too tempting to resist.
Bullet-proof your Holidays
If a live evergreen tree is a tradition you cannot live without, the following health tips should help make this year’s tree a treasure rather than trouble.
Wipe the trunk thoroughly with a solution of luke warm water and diluted bleach (1 part bleach to 20 parts water) to eliminate any mold. Some evergreens, particularly junipers and cedar, may be pollinating even in winter look for a yellowish tinge on the trunk and needles. Before bringing the tree inside, use a leaf blower (in a well-ventilated area away from the house or garage) to remove visible pollen grains.
Artificial Christmas trees are suitable substitutes for live trees as long as they’re not coated with sprayed-on “snow.” Such additions (including pine-scented sprays or oils) can aggravate asthmatic or allergic symptoms in some people.
When visiting family or friends, be prepared for possible reactions to everything, from pets to food to perfume. Never leave home without the appropriate medication(s), equipment, and a written action plan so that the proper steps can be taken in case of an emergency.
Limit (or eliminate) scented candles, potpourri, air fresheners, plant arrangements and holiday baking with strong odors that can cause discomfort for people with asthma.
If you or another family member has moderate or severe asthma, ask your physician about the need for a flu shot. Your physician may recommend that everyone in the family be immunized to protect the more vulnerable family member.
If asthma symptoms persist throughout the season, consider purchasing a peak flow meter to help monitor changes in the airways. You and your doctor can develop a written action plan for medication based on the meter’s readings and keep it with you at all times.
* Information provided by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA).
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