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Severe Allergies? Here's How To Advocate For Yourself And Plan For Your Next Flight

For anyone who has experienced the symptoms of allergies, you know how miserable it can be. Coughing, sneezing, sniffling, headaches, watering eyes, and itchy skin can be extremely uncomfortable even in the best of circumstances. On an airplane though, the discomfort, severity, and even danger of allergies can be magnified. Though the air on airplanes is constantly filtered throughout the flight, this won't stop sensitive individuals from being affected by environmental allergies like pet dander on people's clothes, pollen, and perfumes. However, those with food and pet allergies must take even further precautions and take extra steps to prepare for longer-haul flights since these reactions can be extremely uncomfortable and potentially even fatal if not taken care of immediately.

Though allergic reactions only account for between 2-4% of in-flight emergencies, there is still a very real danger of people with allergies having an unexpected reaction, and if an EpiPen is used, the flight must be diverted so the individual can get medical attention immediately. This would not be a great start to your vacation or business trip ... To say the least. So here is what you can do to plan for your next flight if you have severe allergies.

Keep A Stash Of Up-To-Date Medications On Hand

People with severe allergies know you never leave the house without your inhaler, EpiPens, and some extra-strength antihistamines like Benadryl. This also includes when you fly since even though some airlines carry epinephrine in their onboard medical kits, they may not be the easy-to-inject auto-injectors. Because epinephrine is so important to keeping you alive and well, you are safer carrying your own auto-injectors and making sure to replace your EpiPens every 18 months. The price of these life-saving devices is unfortunately quite expensive, especially without insurance, but there are many programs now that can help get you great discounts.

Moreover, make sure to double-check the expiration date on all your medications (not just your EpiPens) and keep them in a sealed container or airtight bag to protect their shelf life at home and while traveling. Other good lines of defense for those less severe environmental allergies are nose sprays, allergy eye drops, and daily dose antihistamines. You might also want to consider wearing a mask, which a study from the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology indicates can reduce the effects of allergies and prevent asthma symptoms.

Bring Your Own Food On Board

One of the scariest things for people with allergies can be food made with mysterious ingredients. Especially if you have an allergy to something like wheat, soy, eggs, or tree nuts. These allergens can appear in any in-flight meal and there can be no peace of mind since many airline catering companies don't include ingredient lists for their meals and flight attendants can't accurately tell you what's in the food any better than you can.

Some airlines can accommodate some of the top-9 food allergies (milk, eggs, nuts, fish, crustaceans, shellfish, wheat, soy, and sesame) but this is not the norm and more uncommon allergens are still not catered to so you should always be sure to call 48 to 72 hours in advance. So the best solution is, unfortunately, to just bring your own meals with you, even for overseas flights. Yes, this can be a bit of an inconvenience. However, if you truly have severe allergies that can even be triggered by cross-contamination, you must bring your own food with you.

If you're very concerned about coming into contact with your allergen on your flight or have severe allergic reactions, you should be sure to let a flight attendant know about your allergy. You may even want to take the extra step to show them where you keep your EpiPen in case of emergency.

Advocate For Yourself

flight attendant speaking with passenger

While the FAA does not have specific policies in place, they do advise airlines to have procedures outlined for flight attendants to move passengers upon request or offer an alternative flight if a passenger's request cannot be accommodated. However, this means your experience -- airline to airline -- may vary.

Though the Department of Transportation cannot require airlines to create peanut-free buffer zones or keep peanuts off planes entirely, they did rule in 2019 that airlines must allow passengers with peanut allergies extra time to board to wipe down their seats which can prevent unintended contact with their allergen. This ruling was specific to peanut allergies though, so if you have any other severe food or pet allergy, be sure to call ahead of your flight or when you book and ask specifically what accommodations can be made for you.

Read this next: Tips For Spending Less On Food When Traveling

Babies Can Be Fed Peanut Butter Early To Avoid Deadly Allergy: Study

Children who suffer from eczema have a higher risk of peanut allergies.Getty Images/iStockphoto

One group consumed peanut-containing foods daily and the other group avoided peanut-containing foods.

The children's parents committed to the study until the kids turned 5 years old.

Scientists noticed that kids who

consumed peanut-containing foods earlier in life reduced the risk of peanut allergy by 81%.

"In real terms, 75,000 new infants in the US develop peanut allergies every year — that's 750,000 new cases in 10 years," Lack stated.

Scientists encourage parents to incorporate peanuts into an infant's diet at 4 to 6 months.

However, it is advised to speak with your infant's health-care provider first if your child has eczema, an egg allergy or both.

The best way to test the method is to "mix two teaspoons of peanut butter with a couple of tablespoons of warm water, breast milk or formula to create a smooth texture for a baby," Sherry Coleman Collins, a food allergy dietitian shared with Fox.

Another alternative is softening peanut puffs with breast milk, water or puréed fruit.

"It's better to catch the allergy earlier … The older a baby is, the more severe the reaction will be when the allergy shows up," continued Lack.

Children who do not have an egg allergy or eczema can introduce peanuts into their diet without too much concern, according to the

NIAID.

Researchers encourage introducing peanut butter to your children to prevent peanut allergies.Getty Images/iStockphoto

Peter Marks, the head of the FDA's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, noted that "approximately 1 million children in the US have a peanut allergy."

"Only 1 out of 5 of these children will outgrow their allergy," Marks added. "Allergic individuals must strictly avoid exposure to prevent severe and potentially life-threatening reactions."

In recent years, the US Food and Drug Administration

approved Palforzia, the first drug to treat life-threatening peanut allergies in children.

The drug does not cure the allergy, but it does help increase their tolerance to small quantities of peanuts and decrease the risks associated with an accidental exposure.

For Peanut Allergy Prevention, Study Suggests Babies Can Be Fed Diluted Peanut Butter At Early Age

Introducing peanut butter to babies as young as 4 months could dramatically reduce the rate of peanut allergies in infants, a new study suggests.

The study, published in The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, found there was a 77% reduction in peanut allergies when the food was consumed by 4-month-old infants who had severe eczema and at 6 months for infants with mild or no eczema.

(Those with eczema, a skin condition marked by dry, itchy skin and rashes, are at a higher risk of developing food allergies, per the Mayo Clinic.)

When waiting until 12 months to introduce peanut into babies' diet, the allergy rate only dropped by 33%.

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Researchers from King's College London, the University of Southampton and the National Institute for Health and Care Research conducted the study.

They analyzed existing data from multiple studies that evaluated risk factors for peanut allergy in babies and young children.

Introducing peanut butter to babies as young as four months could dramatically reduce the rate of peanut allergies in infants, a new study suggests. Parents should know about certain caveats, however. (iStock)

"In order to prevent peanut allergy effectively in the whole population, consumption of peanut-containing foods should be encouraged universally in the whole infant population," said the study's lead researcher Dr. Gideon Lack, professor of pediatric allergy at Kings College London, in an interview with Fox News Digital.

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"In real terms, 75,000 new infants in the U.S. Develop peanut allergies every year — that's 750,000 new cases in 10 years," he continued.

"The policy of early universal peanut introduction will prevent 60,000 infants every year from developing peanut allergy and prevent 600,000 cases over 10 years."

A food allergist dietitian recommends mixing two teaspoons of peanut butter with a couple of tablespoons of warm water, breast milk or formula to create a smooth texture for a baby. (iStock)

Sherry Coleman Collins, a food allergy dietician and expert from the Atlanta metropolitan area, told Fox News Digital that the benefits of introducing peanuts during infancy are well-supported by a number of studies.

Collins was not involved in the new study.

"We already had evidence that introducing peanut butter in the first year of life is beneficial, but this study gives us a narrower window of when to introduce [it]," she said.

The earlier the better, experts say

Based on the study results, Dr. Lack recommends introducing peanut-containing foods in higher-risk infants with eczema and minority non-White infants at 4 months of age, and to lower-risk infants by 6 months of age.

Babies with eczema, a condition marked by dry, itchy skin and rashes, are at a higher risk of developing food allergies. (iStock)

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the American Academy of Pediatrics both support the recommendation of introducing peanuts to babies in this age range.

There was a 77% reduction in allergies when peanut was consumed by 4- to 6-month-old infants.

"Most peanut allergy develops very early in the first year of life," Dr. Lack said.

"It develops earlier and more commonly in infants with eczema and non-White infants, who may therefore benefit from support and education about early introduction."

Introducing peanut butter safely

While whole nuts are a choking risk for babies, there are other safe ways to introduce peanut foods.

Peanut butter is usually the easiest way, as most people already have it in their pantries. But Collins points out that undiluted peanut butter can also pose a choking hazard — so it must be "thinned" first.

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"Mix two teaspoons of peanut butter with a couple of tablespoons of warm water, breast milk or formula to create a smooth texture for a baby," she recommended.

Another option is to offer peanut puffs that have been softened with breast milk or water, or mixed with puréed fruit.

Study had limitations, researcher says

Dr. Lack noted that the study was performed using data from two large peanut prevention studies.

Peanut butter puffs softened with breast milk or water, or combined with puréed fruit, is one way to introduce peanut safely to babies. (iStock)

One of them was conducted on high-risk infants with severe eczema, who would normally only comprise about 2% of the infant population.

Another of the studies was conducted in a normal-risk general population.

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"Combining the data from both studies required adjusting for the actual proportion of high-risk infants in the general population," Dr. Lack said.

"Importantly, the raw data from each of these two studies show the same pattern of peanut allergy developing in the first year of life. This supports and confirms the conclusions derived from our statistically modeled approach."

Parents should consult doctors if in doubt

Although Dr. Lack believes most infants should be developmentally ready to chew and swallow by 4 months old, parents should consult a pediatrician or other health care professional if there is any doubt about a baby's readiness for solid foods.

"It's better to catch the allergy earlier … The older a baby is, the more severe the reaction will be when the allergy shows up."

While it is possible for babies to develop allergies in the first couple months of life — especially if they have severe or uncontrolled eczema — Collins noted that severe reactions to peanut butter at a young age are rare.

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"And it's better to catch the allergy earlier, because the older a baby is, the more severe the reaction will be when the allergy shows up," she explained.

Melissa Rudy is health editor and a member of the lifestyle team at Fox News Digital.

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