Search Results for: blog allergy emergencies

It Must Be Fall Allergy Time…

I don’t need to look out the window or test the temperature to know that the seasons are changing. I have two dogs with seasonal allergies! Moose’s allergies are milder. He tends to get itchy all over — I’ll catch him rolling on the floor on his back much more often when the seasons change to spring or fall. That’s when I break out the Benadryl to help ease his symptoms. Lally is my problem child when it comes to allergies. You may remember the large sore she scratched into her neck last year? She’s up to it again, and … Continue reading →

Guide Dogs, iPads, Egg Allergies, and Santa

It is time, once again, for the Special Needs Blog Week In Review. There are a lot of different topics that get covered here in a given week. This time, there were blogs about iPads as tools, control of Special Education school busses, egg allergies, Sensory Friendly Santa events, the effects of smoking while pregnant, and guide dog puppies visiting the fire house. Which ones did you miss? Study Says iPads Help People with Vision Problems Read A recent study found that the iPad is a great tool for helping people who have vision problems be able to read. There … Continue reading →

Things You Should Know About Epi-Pens

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If your child has allergies that are extremely severe, your doctor may have prescribed an epi-pen. Obviously, you should listen as the doctor instructs you how and when to use this lifesaving device. However, after you leave the doctor’s office, you may find yourself with some questions. There are many things that a parent should know about epi-pens. Just to make things absolutely clear, when I use the phrase “epi-pen” I am referring to a device that has also been called an epinephrine injector, or an EpiPen auto-injector. The device itself looks very similar to a thick pen, hence the … Continue reading →

Pets on Steroids

Last week, I took my dog Lally to the vet for help with a major allergy attack. She had been itching her face so badly that the hair around her eyes was gone and the skin was raw. Benadryl alone wasn’t doing enough to relieve the itching, so the vet brought out the big guns: steroids. Steroids are very useful for reducing inflammation, and they’ve really helped Lally with her allergy attack. Almost immediately she stopped scratching at her face and ears! She’s got a ten day course of prednisone, and the vet told me to keep up with the … Continue reading →

Severe Reactions To Bug Bites

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For one miserable summer when I was in elementary school, I had some bad reactions to mosquito bites. Two or more bites in a localized area and I would swell right up. The worst was the three bites on my cheek and forehead that swelled my left eye shut! Each time it happened, I ended up at the doctor’s office or in the emergency room for some heavy-duty antihistamines. And those shots always hurt! I’m lucky that my reactions weren’t worse — they were severe locally, but not system-wide. Systemic allergic reactions involve the whole body and usually are a … Continue reading →

How To Treat A Jellyfish Sting

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We’re getting close to the start of the summer… and that means beach time! If you’ll be spending time at the ocean with your family, you may need to know how to treat a jellyfish sting. There isn’t usually much warning before a jellyfish sting. You may not even know a jellyfish is near until you’ve been stung. The sting comes from the jellyfish’s long tentacles that trail behind the bell-shaped body. The venom in the tentacles is alkali-based, and has a chance of causing a severe allergic reaction. If you or someone you’re with gets stung, here’s what you … Continue reading →

Making Baby Foods from Stored Foods

It is important to remember baby’s needs when planning for emergencies. There are a couple of different approaches you may choose to take in order to provide for baby when it is most critical. You may choose to store ready-to-eat baby foods, but you also may want to know how to make your own baby foods from other stored items. The ingredients for these foods generally store longer than the canned baby foods, and of course they are more versatile. Things like rice, wheat, and dehydrated vegetables can be used for making baby foods and in cooking meals for the … Continue reading →

Five Things to Consider When Storing Food for Young Children

When you plan food storage for your family, you need to take into consideration the needs of your children. If you have infants, toddlers or preschoolers you may want to take the nutritional needs and eating habits of children that are so young. Here are five areas that you should consider. 1) If you are planning on having a baby you may want to stock up on formula (at least enough for emergencies when you cannot nurse), baby food, diapers and wipes. While you can make your own baby food certain vegetables are not as safe to use, and so … Continue reading →

The Jewelry That Gives Peace of Mind

Have you ever considered what might happen if your child had a medical emergency and you weren’t around? And if your child couldn’t speak due to a disability or because he was unconscious, how could he get help? William Y. Rial, Former President of the American Medical Association has said, “Even if your children are old enough to understand the seriousness of their condition, why gamble on the ability to communicate in a situation in which they may be unconscious or too ill to speak? If your children suffer from any condition that could endanger them or complicate treatment in … Continue reading →