Beyond Allergy

Yoga for Allergies

Heather Legg — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:53:16 +0000

The other day I was given a wonderful gift - three extra hours in my day! I had a scheduled commitment canceled and I was so excited - determined to use my time wisely. Here’s what I did, some work, some laundry and then I went to my beloved yoga class. After leaving class, I was reminded of how good I always feel after yoga, and of the benefits it has on the whole body - even allergies. (more…)

Animals on Airlines

Heather Legg — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 14:46:17 +0000

Another issue is floating around in the big blue skies these days, one akin to peanuts on planes and the risks it poses to those suffering from peanut allergies. This one however, doesn’t involve food, it’s pets causing the problem. (more…)

What Does Avoidance Really Mean?

Heather Legg — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 14:38:09 +0000

When you do discover you or your child has a food allergy, one of the first things you are probably told is to avoid that food. So what does that mean, really? If you have a tree nut allergy, do you avoid all tree nuts? How about a seafood allergy, do you satay away from all kinds of seafood? The difficult thing about allergies is they are so variable person to person, even throughout the same person’s life. (more…)

Dogs Helping Humans - Again!

Heather Legg — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 14:33:16 +0000

When your child has a severe allergy, you’ll do almost anything to keep him safe. Now parents have another option in the fight against allergies, though it’s not an inexpensive one - Allergy Dogs. No, they’re not dogs with allergies, they are specifically trained dogs to sniff out allergies, and they are making life changing strides in the lives of people with peanut allergies. (more…)

Lactose Intolerant?

Heather Legg — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 23:53:42 +0000

My friend’s daughter has been complaining a lot of of stomach aches; she calls it the “spiky kind.” My friend spoke to the doctor and guess what, he said take her off of all dairy for a week or so, keep a diary and see how she does. He feels it’s probably lactose intolerance. (more…)

Another Mystery Rash

Heather Legg — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 22:54:36 +0000

We used to have mystery rashes popping up all of the time in my house. My kids took Benadryl left and right, but haven’t had anything in, well, years. This weekend, however, we did see a rash on my older daughter, and of course, have no idea what it’s from.

Of course, this weekend was Halloween and there was a lot of candy being eaten. We looked back on everything she ate and couldn’t determine anything that may be the culprit, though. She hasn’t had any food reaction in years, so I really don’t think it was that. plus, the rash was on her cheek, not mouth, eyes or lips. She also never mentioned itchy mouth or lips which was always her first sign of a food allergy. (more…)

More Tips For Halloween…

Heather Legg — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 08:16:41 +0000

For those of us with older children, who have done Halloween and food allergies for year’s, habits start to form. It’s not as scary (though we’re still vigilant), the kids start to take more responsibility and things get just a little easier. However, with younger children, some who may be trick or treating for the first time, or with a newly diagnosed allergy, Halloween night may be a scary time.

Here are a few more tips to go by to try to make your night, and this week, easier: (more…)

Allergy Meds - Do You Really Need Them?

Heather Legg — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 16:16:27 +0000

I was laughing today with some friends when one of the ladies was telling us how she just had to buy Claritin for her dog. Her dog suffers from allergies. Then, of course, the conversation shifted to human allergies, as they’re hitting pretty hard right now between the ragweed and the mold. So by all means, treat your allergies! Take the allergy medicine if you need it, and take it the right way - for some that means on a daily basis. (more…)

Milk Allergy FAQ

Heather Legg — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 21:54:05 +0000

With new foods entering the markets on a daily basis, we’re gaining easier access to some foods that weren’t available before. It used to be just cow’s milk that we could get, than soy entered the stores. Now it’s not uncommon to see goat’s milk, sheep’s milk, almond milk. These provide some great alternatives to cow’s milk if you suffer from allergies. Here’s a quick rundown of some commonly asked dairy allergy questions, and some information on the other types of milk. (more…)

School, Student And Family Responsibilities In School

Heather Legg — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 21:53:40 +0000

I’m pretty involved at my kids’ school and the other day we were talking about communication. How best to get all of the information out to all the parents? It’s tough. But we also realized that those that want the information will seek it. Granted, we’ve got signs and memos and online feed blitzes going out. We’ve got principal call outs and teacher blogs full of information. What I’m trying to say is a lot of people use the fact of lack of information, or difficulty getting it or inconvenience as an excuse not to do something. But if there is something that means a lot to you, tugs at your heart strings and gut, there’s never a reason not to do it. (more…)