Food Allergy Living Blog Tagged Results

This weekend, March 18 – 22, we will be joining the best and brightest allergy and immunology experts at the American Academy of Allergy Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI) annual meeting in San Francisco, California.

AAAAI was established in 1943 and is the largest professional allergy and immunology medical organization in the United States. With nearly 6,500 members, AAAAI is made up of asthma specialists, clinical immunologists, allied health professionals and many others, all of who have a special interest in researching and treating allergic diseases.

Presenting new advancements and findings for allergy, asthma and immunology patients is the main goal of AAAAI and the annual meeting and we are looking forward to learning from the presentations at the conference. Some of the food allergy-related topics this year include:

• The Food Allergy Guidelines: From Controversy to Consensus
• What is New in Pediatric Allergy
• Activation of the Innate Immune System by Allergens: How Allergic Reactions get Started
• Living with Risk: Quality of Life for Families with Food Allergies

We’ll be sure to keep you posted on all of the fun and exciting things we hope to learn this weekend!

- Sarah

You may have noticed that allergies and asthma often go hand in hand. Roughly, 70% of children with asthma have some type of allergy[1]. So do allergies cause asthma? Or does asthma cause allergies? The answer to both questions is no; one does not cause the other but the two conditions do have a strong connection.

Inflammation & Your Immune System

Allergies and asthma are both inflammatory conditions caused by dysfunction of the immune system. Sometimes they are referred to as “atopic diseases”. The immune system is the body’s defense to foreign invaders, such as bacteria, viruses, pathogens, fungi, etc. When the immune system detects these foreign invaders, it releases cells that seek out and destroy them. Inflammation is one of the first responses of the immune system to infection. Usually, the immune system keeps us healthy; however, a malfunctioning immune system can lead to illness. This is what happens with allergies and asthma.

Asthma vs. Allergies

With allergies, the immune system is hyperactive and produces an unnecessary inflammatory response to a traditionally harmless substance (such as a food protein). Asthma is a chronic lung disease characterized by episodes of inflammation and narrowing of the airway in response to certain "triggers." These triggers vary from patient to patient and may include infectious agents, exercise, stress, pollutants such as cigarette smoke, and common allergens such as cat dander, dust mites, and pollen.

Is there a link?

There are approximately 9 million kids in the US who have asthma[2]. Of this 9 million, about ¾ have asthma that is triggered by allergies. Remember, we talked about different triggers for asthma symptoms (exercise, pollen, allergens, etc.). Patients whose asthma is triggered by allergens are often said to have “allergic asthma”. [3] According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, allergic asthma is the most common type of asthma, affecting around half of asthma patients.

Does Genetics Play a Role?

Atopy refers to the genetic tendency to develop allergic diseases, such as eczema, allergies and asthma[4]. Someone with “atopy” produces certain antibodies associated with allergic disease. Genetics and environmental factors both contribute to whether a patient does or doesn’t develop atopic diseases. Not all people with atopy (that genetic predisposition) go on to develop allergic diseases because environmental factors play a role too; However, they are significantly more likely to. Likewise, not all people with atopic disease have atopy (but most do).

Genetics obviously plays a big role in the development of allergic diseases. If one parent has an atopic condition, their child has a 1 in 4 chance of having some form of atopic disease (not necessarily the same one as the parent)[5]. If both parents have an atopic condition, the child is more than 50% likely to develop an atopic disease.

Hopefully, this information gives you a better understanding of why asthma and allergies are so often seen together. While neither one causes the other, some people have a genetic predisposition which puts them at a greater risk for developing all forms of allergic disease (such as allergy, eczema and asthma). So if you have one allergic disease, you have a higher risk for developing other types of allergic conditions in comparison to the general population.

Have you found this to be true with your little ones? Be sure to share your experiences with us in the comments!

- Mallory

[1] World Health Organization. Global surveillance, prevention and control of chronic respiratory disease: a comprehensive approach, 2007.
[2] The Nemours Foundation/KidsHealth^®© 1995- 2010. http://kidshealth.org/.
[3] American Academy of Allergy Asthma & Immunology.
[4] Atopic Diseases in Childhood. Gold MS and Kemp AS. MJA 2005; 182 (6):298-304. [5] The National Eczema Association. http://www.nationaleczema.org/.

It’s spring time and for many people this means one thing - seasonal allergies. You, however, deal with food allergies on a daily basis. May is National Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month, and it’s the perfect time to get involved in your local allergy community to raise awareness about food allergies.

Even though food allergies are on the rise, many people still aren’t aware of the severity of them or how to keep an allergy-prone child safe. During the month of May, get out there and talk to your community about food allergies. Participate in the local walks, talks and parades, or…

Start your own event! Gather your friends and family together for an allergy-free picnic or bake sale to benefit food allergy research or your favorite food allergy awareness group, like Kids With Food Allergies or Allergy Moms.

For a list of awareness month events, click here.

And to read up on the latest information on Allergies and Asthma, visit myallergynetwork.com.

I’d love to hear what you are doing for Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month. Send us an email at babyhealthblog@ecius.net or post a comment to let us know.

- Nita

I’ve been reading Coping with Allergies & Asthma, a magazine designed to aid allergy and asthma sufferers in taking a proactive approach to improving their quality of life. It’s a great way to get a quick update on what’s going on in the allergy community.

While the magazine has a lot of great content, one article in particular stuck out to me in the March/April issue that I wanted to share with you. The article, “Don’t Let Your Child’s Asthma or Allergic Illness Define the Family,” has a great message for all allergy parents — the emotional symptoms that come along with the physical symptoms of a food allergy can be just as hard, if not harder, to deal with.

The article offers the following tips to keep family allergy anxieties in check:

• Focus on the normal elements of childhood;
• Beware of transmitting anxiety to your children;
• Have one medical hour a week to focus on the allergy; and
• Reserve time for the allergy-free siblings.

Unfortunately, the articles aren’t available on the magazine’s Web site, but a table of contents is. You can see what else was in this issue of Coping with Allergies & Asthma by clicking here.

And to subscribe to the magazine, click here.

-Nita

Gina Clowes is the founder of AllergyMoms.com. We would like to thank her for guest blogging for us and sharing her family's allergy story.

Note: This article was originally written for Health Central: My AllergyNetwork.com. To view the article there, click here.

One of my industry contacts sent me a link to a very interesting study recently released by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA). Their report, appropriately titled the 2008 State Honor Roll - Annual Report of the State Asthma and Allergy Policies for Schools, represents a wealth of comparative information in regard to how well each state in the U.S. deals with asthma and allergy in its public schools.

According to the executive summary of the report, "AAFA research and policy experts, in consultation with leaders in the fields of medicine, education and advocacy, identified 18 types of "policy standards" relating to asthma and allergies in schools that currently appear in states across the U.S. Three broad categories of policy types were assessed:

• Medication & Treatment
• Awareness
• School Environment

Researchers determined which states currently had most or all of the 18 policy standards in place and considered these states to be at the forefront asthma and allergy school advocacy. States with a minimum of 15 of the 18 policy standards in place are named "Honor Roll" states. These states represent good models for policymakers, administrators, teachers, parents and advocates in other states."

As a parent of a food allergic child, the first thing I did was dig into the report and find out how my state, Pennsylvania, stacked up. Of course, I found that my state is somewhere in the middle of the pack with regard to the policy stances studied in the document. Nowhere near the bottom, thankfully, but sadly also nowhere near the top.

I was surprised to see that Pennsylvania passed the self-carry law for epinephrine. Sara Shannon (an advocate from Canada who lost her daughter to food allergies) and I worked with Pennsylvania State Senator Orie who sponsored SB731, but the last I heard the bill was in the Pennsylvania House Education Committee. If it has passed, I will very happy to hear it.

But I think the real power of this report is its ability to compare states on these policies, which is something that might be impossible if it were not for this report. Here are a couple of things that I observed and that I thought were especially interesting:

1. The states achieving the highest success in setting policy for asthma and allergy are largely in the northeastern U.S. The exception to that statement is the state of Washington . Why is this? Is it a reaction to the incidence of asthma and allergy in those states (possibly)? Is it the power of advocacy in those states (maybe)? Is it that the legislators in those states are especially wise when it comes to dealing with asthma and allergy policy? For those of us who live in these states, we should be thanking our lucky stars. And for those of us who don't, this report should motivate us to ask our legislators for changes. I think that this report could provide some powerful ammunition.

2. There is a huge variation in asthma and allergy policy from one state to another. Having been involved with food allergy advocacy for years, I guess that I always knew of the differences in policy between states. In certain areas (medication policies, for instance), many states have addressed an important health concern, and this report points that out. But what I wasn't aware of is the vast differences among the states in dealing with other aspects of asthma and allergy policy. The AAFA Honor Roll presents this information in an easy-to-read format, and this could, once again, become a powerful advocacy tool.

There are several areas where I'd love to see improvement in Pennsylvania, my state. For example, it would be wonderful if Pennsylvania legislators would mandate indoor air quality policies or requirements. My sons go to a very old elementary school and I'm sure that the mold takes its toll on kids who have allergies and asthma.

I also think it would be very important to track and report severe asthma and allergic reactions. There are other places where Pennsylvania falls short, for example our state has not mandated "no smoking" on school buses but I'm pretty sure this one is in effect anyway. I can't imagine anyone smoking on a school bus, at least not with permission.

Obviously state laws to protect asthmatic and food allergic children get the attention of school districts. And, this report could be a useful tool to help parents pursue legislation in their states by pointing out what other states have already done. Although I am aware that parents even in the "honor roll" states still have issues keeping their food allergic children safe at school, each of these laws provide another layer of protection and awareness. I

think that this report is long overdue, and I recommend that you spend a few minutes to learn a little more.

- Gina Clowes

Last night, I was reading the June issue of Parents magazine and came across a pretty great article called “Forbidden Foods” by Jan Sheehan. Since this topic is my focus at work, I like to believe I know a lot of about it! And I have to say, this was a very informative article for allergy and non-allergy parents alike overall. However, it did leave out a few milk allergy specifics I think people should be aware of.

The article outlined the current “allergy explosion” and what parents need to be on the look-out for when it comes to allergies. One side bar I really liked was the “Is it really an allergy?” section. This is often a mistake parents make when deciding whether to take their children to the pediatrician. Just in case you’re not sure of the symptoms for each, here they are:

Food Intolerance
Upset stomach; Gas and bloating; Abdominal cramps; vomiting; Diarrhea.

Food Allergy
Skin redness and itching (a definite sign that is on the rise!); Rashes or hives; Red, watery eyes, Nasal congestion, runny nose, sneezing; Vomiting; Diarrhea; Swelling of lips, face, or throat; Wheezing; Severe breathing difficulty; Loss of consciousness.

As you can see, many of the symptoms overlap. To be on the safe side, I would take your child in to see the pediatrician if he/she is experiencing any of the above symptoms.

Now on to a few things it was missing. When speaking of the formula options available for children with food allergies, it only mentions soy formulas and hydrolysate formulas. Since children with milk allergies are often allergic to soy, the AAP does not recommend switching to soy if your baby is showing sings of a milk allergy. Click here to get more information on the possible risks with soy formulas.

Also, switching to a hydrolysate formula often isn’t enough for babies and kids with milk protein allergy – they need an amino acid-based formula like Neocate, which is made up of protein broken down to the absolute simplest form (amino acids), making it gentler on the tummy of a milk allergy baby.

So, some good info here. But just remember to talk about all your formula options with the pediatrician when you have a food allergy baby.

Here’s a link to a few more articles by the same author on the Parents website. Check it out!

-Sarah