The holiday season means so many happy things, like vacation, family reunions, eating some of the most favorite food of the year, board games, traveling and making memories, that talking about ‘surviving the holidays’ may seem unfair.

Overall, there’s so much information about allergies and asthma, that why bother reiterating it and concentrating on the risk of ending up at the ER?

Because the N.1 rule with allergies (and asthma) is awareness. Knowledge brings power and inclusiveness, no kid or adult should feel isolated or different because he or she cannot enjoy the eggnog or the pecan pie.

Not everyone knows what a food allergy is. If you think about it, before being diagnosed, did you really know what gluten was or that lactose intolerance is different from milk allergy? What’s most important is that anaphylaxis is serious; it’s a scary-sounding word and can be life-threatening.

WHAT NOW?

We have gathered some resources for you.

• Enjoy the holidays and promote an inclusive environment
• Can you be allergic to pumpkin, wine or cinnamon? Find out here and many more questions answered.
• You or one of your children suffer from a pet allergy: it’s common belief that the pet’s fur is the culprit and we know this is not the case. Visiting family members who own a cat that is allowed to jump on the sofa and purrs affectionately can really stir a domino effect of symptoms. You may want to READ this blog post and eventually forward it to your family before you travel.
• School gatherings for Thanksgiving or holiday celebrations can be stressful instead of fun and joyful: do you really trust someone who is not familiar with food allergies to know the repercussions of using, touching or mixing an allergen in the recipe? If you think of it for a second, it would be a lot of pressure on the wrong person. The best way to bypass fear and let things run smooth is to put yourself in charge as room parent or chaperone. It is as simple as communicating and being proactive. Disclose the ingredients, be creative and label items and dishes with “gluten free” or “egg free”.
• If the party is at someone’s home, the less conflicting way to manage your allergy is to speak with the hostess in advance and suggest your bringing your own cooked meal or plate
• There are some chances you could be allergic to house plants and even pine, although rare in South Florida, but if you suffer from environmental allergies you may want to watch out for synthetic trees, garlands and scented potpourri that are catalysts for humidity, accumulated dust and eventually mold.

Do you have any other suggestion that we may not have thought about? —> feel free to take it to the comment section, we’d love to hear from you!

Meanwhile we wish you the most wonderful Holiday Season!

Sources:

[1] http://www.forkandbeans.com/2014/11/08/survive-holidays-food-restrictions/   

[2] http://florida-allergy.com/2014/11/26/holidays-enjoy-party/

[3]  http://florida-allergy.com/2013/12/20/20-allergy-asthma-questions-wanted/#more-8111  

[4] http://florida-allergy.com/2013/12/20/20-allergy-asthma-questions-wanted/#more-8111