Maybe a Better Epinephrine Option for Children with Food Allergies?

This headline caught my eye: "Children Show Greater Epinephrine Exposure with Neffy Than Adults". I have been following the progress of Neffy for some time now and have wondered if it would be difficult for users, especially children, to use the nasal spray effectively. I remember a doctor giving me very specific directions about how to use Nasacort most effectively so the medicine would reach the right spot(s) and work best. My memory of that conversation is that I should insert the nasal spray nozzle pretty far up my nose and inhale very deeply, much like one would imagine the way a coke user sniffs cocaine. It was an effective analogy. Using Neffy, a life-saving medication, is far more serious. Mistakes in administering Neffy, like epinephrine autoinjectors, must be avoided at all costs.

Perhaps it is easier to use Neffy than I expected! That would be welcome news indeed. Please take a look at the above linked article from HCPLive and see what you think.

Possibly Making Seafood More Allergy Friendly

Each week, I peruse my Google Alerts for interesting articles related to food allergies to keep myself in the loop and also to share with Food Allergy Buzz readers. You will not find blog posts from me that paraphrase or plagiarize someone else's article. Instead, it seems best for me to share the link to the article so you can check it out yourself. 

I don't often come across articles regarding seafood/fish allergies, so this one caught my eye. Imagine a fish that might be safe for those with fish allergies. It's a strange concept but I think there was talk of a safe peanut years ago too, wasn't there? I also am not sure how I feel about it.

Have a look at this article regarding the research ongoing at Australia's James Cook University--"Safer seafood could be on its way--cell-cultivated fish offers hope for seafood allergy sufferers"--and let me know your thoughts. If you have an allergy to fish, would you want to try it?

Peanut Free Night at Jimmy John's Field

Tonight, August 16, is peanut free night at Jimmy John's Field. We received the below link from the United Shore Professional Baseball League for discounted tickets. 

https://www.ticketreturn.com/prod2new/GroupPortalPEC.asp?holdid=672&EventID=333008&SponsorID=16

Proximity Challenges Can Make a Difference

A proximity challenge is supervised by a doctor in a setting equipped for any allergic reactions that may occur. It allows a patient to be in the same room as his/her/their allergen, to breathe the air and have a sample of the allergen applied to his/her/their skin. 

Dr. Dave Stukus noted in a tweet about proximity challenges:

"One of my favorite visits - parent/child truly scared as to what will happen if they are near their food allergen...or touch by accident.

I can safely show them exactly what will happen & help overcome fear of these very low risk scenarios.
 
Proximity challenges are empowering!"

Parents of children who have undergone proximity challenges report that it is a life-changing experience, for the better!

For more information, please see the below article and contact your allergist:

Dinakar C, Shroba J, Portnoy JM. The transforming power of proximity food challenges. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2016 Aug, 117(2). 135-7. doi: 10.1016/j.anai.2016.06.015. PMID: 27499540.

It's Hard to Find Trustworthy Food Allergy Information!

"Magnifying Glass" by Auntie P is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.

I've been active in the online food allergy community for about 16 years now! There are a lot of food allergy organizations and websites nowadays--a great many more than when my son was first diagnosed all those years ago--but there are only a small handful that provide information that is consistently accurate and objective. 

Which ones have the most reliable and objective information, and practical food allergy management tips? 

My current top picks are the following. These websites will help you empower yourself and not live in fear!

• Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA)
• Allergy & Asthma Network
• Food Allergy Awareness Connection Team (FAACT)
• Kids with Food Allergies (KFA)
• The Zestfull

Peanut Allergy Accommodations & Baseball in 2022

As April school vacation draws to a close, the end of the 2021-2022 school year seems ever closer, and with that, minds turn to vacation. Each year, I try to keep an eye out for announcements of peanut allergy accommodations at baseball games in the U.S. and Canada, and I post my findings along with links to additional information about the accommodations and ticket purchasing. With the help of food allergy friends near and far, allergists' offices, food allergy organizations, and the baseball teams themselves, I've been able to share this information on my blog, Free to Enjoy Baseball, since about 2009. Prior to that, I shared the game info here on Food Allergy Buzz.

I remember when I first began to look into peanut allergy accommodations at baseball games, about fifteen years ago. I called the Pawtucket Red Sox, and the man--while friendly and polite--nearly laughed me off the phone. The Red Sox had limited seating for fans with peanut allergy but there was a waiting list and the information was not readily available; you had to do some digging and frankly, it was discouraging. It seemed like you had to be "in the know" and have a good chunk of change available.

Flash forward to 2022. Times have really changed! Many Minor League baseball teams have made accommodations for fans with peanut allergy. Some offer peanut allergy seating sections at every game, some hold peanut free games. A great number of Major League teams offer peanut allergy accommodations as well. Some teams are now offering allergy friendly options--and not just for peanut allergy--at their concession stands and some have ingredient binders at the ready too.  

Many fans with peanut allergy, however, safely attend baseball games without special accommodations or seating. My family has attended games and eaten at Fenway without special seating.  I remember my son breaking out in full body hives as a small boy on Halloween just from touching closed packages of candy. When our allergist heard about that Halloween experience, he was surprised by the high level of sensitivity to peanuts my son exhibited. We have been religious about avoidance, as you can imagine. Yet, we discovered being outside at the ballpark turned out to be just fine.

If you do attend a baseball game this season, we'd love to hear about your experience from the food allergy angle. Send us your story and photos too at jenniferATfoodallergybuzzDOTcom. Whatever your vacation plans, our Food Allergy Buzz family hopes you will enjoy a wonderful summer!

Improv Workshops for Teens with Food Allergies

Flyer - Sloane Miller

Do you have a teenager in high school who is managing food allergies? Listen up! Here is an opportunity that may be of interest!

Sloane Miller--a licensed social worker, author, consultant, and so much more, including being someone who grew up with multiple food allergies and continues to manage them still--is piloting a new improv workshop for teens with food allergies. The workshops are on Tuesday evenings and begin June 22. They will run for 6 weeks and each session is 90 minutes long, 6:30PM - 8:00PM EST. The number of teen participants is 8; parents are included! Sloane explains the "online workshop's aim is to help teens (9th through 12th grades) with food allergies and anaphylaxis increase their interpersonal skill sets and mental coping toolbox beyond medical avoidance of their allergen, which must be strictly maintained." The fee for the workshop is $50.

For more information, visit Sloane's website.