Search Results for: blog allergies and asthma

Universities Must Accommodate for Food Allergies

Parents of teens who have celiac disease, and who will be heading to college this year, may have concerns about what will be served in the school cafeteria. You may not be aware of it, but the Department of Justice announced in December that universities must make meal plans that are inclusive of students will food allergies. Last year, I wrote a blog about something that will make parents of young adults with celiac disease, or a gluten allergy, rest a little easier. Some universities were starting to make accommodations for students who had celiac disease, or a gluten allergy … Continue reading →

The Worst Cities for Kids With Fall Allergies

Some places are not as healthy to live in as other places are. WebMD has a list of the ten worst places to live for children (and adults) who have fall allergies. This list is for 2012. There is potential that your child is especially allergic right now because he or she lives in a place that is filled with Fall allergens. Has the past few weeks been really difficult for your child? It’s not unheard of for someone who has allergies to be miserable in the weeks that the air is filled with an allergen that he or she … Continue reading →

Halloween Allergens, Dyslexic Fonts, and Homecoming

This week, the Special Needs Blog has included a wide range of topics. I guess that makes the Special Needs Blog Week in Review a little bit more interesting. This time, we have blogs about mercury, Halloween related allergens, Homecoming, medications for kids who don’t need it, and a font that can be read by people with dyslexia. “No Candy Halloween” Safer for Kids With Food Allergies This Halloween, consider offering a non-food item to the trick-or-treaters that come to your door. Halloween candy often contains allergens that children who have food allergies cannot safely consume. Everyone can enjoy a … Continue reading →

How the Candidates Compare – Pre-Existing Conditions

The 2012 Presidential Election is coming up in just a few weeks. It is vital that everyone become an informed voter and understand exactly where each candidate stands on major issues. Since this is the Insurance Blog, I am focusing on issues and topics that relate to health insurance coverage. Here is where the candidates stand on pre-existing conditions. A pre-existing condition is a health condition, disease, or situation that a person has experienced in the past, or is continuing to experience today. An insurance company could consider anything at all to be a pre-existing condition: cancer, allergies, asthma, diabetes, … Continue reading →

Blogging From the Personal Side of Parenting

The internet has a wealth of information about a vast variety of special needs. It is fairly easy to look up medical information or news articles regarding a special need. Sometimes, it can be comforting to read a blog written by a parent about the personal side of parenting a child who has a special need. Here are a few interesting ones to explore. Parents can get online and quickly look up symptoms, recommended diets, help with IEPs, and news about health insurance coverage for their child’s special needs. What about if all you want is some conformation that your … Continue reading →

Developing Cat Allergies in Adulthood

Here’s an even better reason to expose your children to pets at an early age: adults never exposed to them have a higher chance of developing allergies if they get pets. A team from the University Hospital of Verona (in Italy) studied more than 6,000 adults twice in nine years. It found that people who had never lived with cats before, and then adopted them in adulthood, doubled their chances of becoming allergic to the cat. The chances were even higher if the adults had other allergies or asthma. The process of becoming allergic to something when previously you weren’t … Continue reading →

23andMe Lists Their Top Ten Genetic Findings of 2011

23andMe is a company that sells genetic testing kits to people who wish to know more about the information that is revealed in their genes. Every year, 23andMe releases a list of their top ten genetic findings. Many of these findings are of interest to genealogists. 23andMe has a blog that it calls “The Spittoon”. It is a rather amusing, and appropriate name. This company sells DNA testing kits to consumers. Those who purchase a kit provide a saliva sample to 23andMe. To do this, a person basically has to spit into the sample collection device. Therefore, “spittoon” is an … Continue reading →

Skin Testing for Allergies May Not Be Entirely Accurate

Parents that suspect that their child may have allergies have two choices. Their child’s doctor may suggest a blood test, or a skin test. New information suggests that the skin testing may not be as accurate as it once was believed to be. I am someone who has tons of allergies. When I was a teenager, I was given a blood test that was used to determine some of the things that I am allergic to. Later, my allergist suggested that I take what was called a “skin test”, because it was considered to be a better diagnostic tool. I … Continue reading →

Free Apps for Parents of Kids Who Have Allergies

Life can be difficult for parents of kids who have allergies. You never can know, for certain, when your child will accidentally encounter an allergen. Sometimes, being well informed can help keep your child a little bit safer. There are plenty of free apps that are useful for parents of kids with allergies. Not every allergy related app that you find at the iTunes store, or at Amazon.com, is going to be available for free. Some, like the Allergy Caddy cost a little bit of money to download. However, since I am writing this blog in December, I realize that … Continue reading →

Christmas Allergy and Asthma Triggers to Avoid

The holiday season may not be “the most wonderful time of the year” for children who have asthma, or environmental allergies. There are a lot of allergens in the air, and in your home, due to the way we celebrate Christmas. Parents who are aware of these allergy and asthma triggers might be able to prevent their child from having a severe reaction. Oh, Christmas tree! How lovely are your branches. How abundant are the allergens you put into air! The Christmas tree that is sitting inside your living room might be the source of your child’s allergy or asthma … Continue reading →