Food Allergy Awareness: Be Prepared With These Tips and a Medical Alert Wallet
It’s rare that you hear of someone dying from food allergies, but when it happens, it usually reaches national news. Why? Because food is something we eat every day – several times a day – and everyone should be aware of the dangers of food allergies. Some foods such as peanuts contain very strong allergens that are in the food and released into the air as well. That’s why someone with severe food allergies must be extremely careful where and how they dine out.
Food Allergy Deaths
There are approximately 150 deaths related to food allergies in the United States each year. Food allergies are responsible for more deaths than insect bites as well as reactions to medicines.
Some food allergy deaths could have been prevented if proper medical attention was given when the allergic reaction occurred. Unfortunately, someone who is dining out or eating at home alone can have an allergic reaction without anyone around who knows the cause. With severe reactions, the person may not be able to speak or move at all. When the paramedics arrive, they do not know how to treat the patient.
Non-deadly allergies can still cause unpleasant symptoms such as cramps, light-headedness, itching and rash, hives, headaches, swelling lips, tingling mouth, shortness of breath and wheezing. Even these symptoms can seem urgent when they’re really not, so emergency personnel might attend to someone with these symptoms as well.
Keeping in Touch with Your Food Allergies
Prevention is always best with food allergies, especially dangerous ones. When dining out, ask the waiter if the food you’re about to order contains the ingredients that might cause an allergic reaction. Also, check food labels and labels on drinks and condiments while grocery shopping to be sure it’s safe before eating. Keep a list of the foods you’re allergic to with you in your wallet or purse as a reminder when dining out.
If you’ve already experienced a severe food allergy attack, ask your physician about a self-injecting epinephrine to keep with you for emergencies. This could save your life!
Help Medical Emergency Workers do their Jobs
Another way to be prepared is to have all your medical emergency information with you in one place along with your identification. Keep this information in your purse or wallet so emergency workers will know how to diagnose and treat you when they arrive.
Special wallets are now available called Medical Alert Wallets that have all your medical information and allergy details inside. Emergency workers easily recognize these because each Medical Alert Wallet has a “Medic Alert” symbol and a free Medical Information Card with each wallet. They come in nylon, vinyl, and leather. Several styles are available such as bi-fold, tri-fold and neck wallets. Families can use these for every member of the family so everyone will be protected if a food allergy reaction or any other medical emergency occurs.
With a little preparation and a Medic Alert Wallet, you’ll have peace of mind when dining out or eating at a friend’s house. Food allergies do not have to control your life!
The Difference Between State and Nationwide Background Checks
The national background check is a combination of the Federal Criminal Records Check, Bankruptcy Records Check, Federal Civil Records Check and the Federal Inmate Search. These checks are done on a state wise basis for all the states. To conduct a national background check it is essential to have the first and last name of the person on whom the check is done along with the name of the state. The search is much more accurate when a middle name, city name, and SSN number are included and can yield results that may include docket, offense and disposition information. State level background checks include checking the Criminal Records Repository, Corrections Records, Sex offender registry, and Wanted and Warrant information if any.
While national background checks services may result in producing more information as greater number of records are checked state background checks can save a lot of time in most cases. When the name of the person about whom the check is being done is fairly common, it will be a tedious and long drawn affair to track down his/her details. If the search can be done just by looking into state records the amount of work in the search is drastically cut down as it would be limited to a single state, or another one or two states if needed, as against fifty states in a national search. Moreover, criminal records are usually divided by state making a search easier through state websites. Even the National Criminal Records Database (NCRD) is divided in to 50 states and is used for background searches as a national criminal directory.
It must be remembered that all states do not allow public access to information available in statewide criminal records. Many states allow accessing records online while others require submission of permission requests through specific authorization forms that need filling in identification particulars of the person seeking the information that include particulars like full name, date of birth, address, SSN number and county of residence. Information gained through a statewide record system may not be complete on account of limited date ranges or due to the limited number of criminal courts and offences for which records are maintained. Information available against searches made under ‘offender’ and ‘inmate’ categories produce results related only to those individuals who were sentenced to the state prison. Many states allow free online access to SORs (State Offender Registries). However, the information under this registry is usually limited.
All criminal record checks include information of convictions, and many times, arrest information also. Checks of the state child abuse registry can reveal whether a person was named in any report, however, all states may not permit registry checks. In such cases the state child protective services agency can provide access information.
Criminal cases that are instituted by the federal government like those related to counterfeiting, bank robbery and kidnapping including other offences that occur on federal property could be searched through the relevant federal court district, as federal crimes will not appear in searches made in state or county court records.
National Wants and Warrants search is a nationwide report to determine if a person has any outstanding and extraditable wants or warrants, which are registered with the NCIC (National Crime Information Center). Usually this report includes those, which have been issued against commission of felony offenses of a more serious nature, or outstanding county warrants that are later elevated to nationwide level.
Top Ten Tips to Prevent Allergy Attacks
Many people live with allergy problems and often suffer from allergy attacks. You may be wondering what actually causes these attacks and how you can prevent them. First, you need to have an understanding of some common allergens that trigger these attacks.
There are several allergy-causing substances, the most common being pollen, dust mites, mold, insect stings, animal dander, food, medications, and latex. If you have an allergy, symptoms may include eye irritation, headache, congestions, swelling, or difficulty breathing. These are only a few symptoms of allergy attack.
The following states ten easy tips you can use to prevent allergy exposure, therefore reducing your risk on an attack.
It is important to keep your windows closed when there are high pollen counts in your area or when mowing the lawn. This will help prevent outdoor allergies from getting indoors.
Turn your air conditioner on and use HEPA filters to clean your air. In making sure you clean or change your filters you are reducing the amount of dust and other allergens in your home.
Use a dehumidifier in areas such as your basement or garage to keep humidity levels less than 50%, as this can greatly prevent the growth of mold.
Do not allow any form of smoking in your home.
Try to avoid areas such as basements, garages, barns, and crawl spaces as much as possible, but wear a mask when this is unavoidable. This will keep you from breathing as many allergens.
Vacuum your carpet frequently to prevent allergens from settling in as badly and use a clothes dryer rather than hanging your clothes outside on line. Also, wash your bed-clothes, curtains, and blinds frequently to remove dust mites and other allergens that gather on them.
For allergy-free decorating you must avoid carpeting and throw rugs, some indoor plants, storing firewood in you house, and blinds or curtains that cannot be washed.
Try to keep your pets outside as much as popular, as pet dander and loose can trigger attacks. If you do have indoor pets, take them outside to brush them and bathe them at least once a week. If you are allergic, have someone else clean litter pans and consider buying an air filtration system to reduce pet dander in your home.
If you have spent a lot of time outdoors, change clothes upon coming indoors to prevent bringing pollen and dust inside with you. Also, take a shower or bath before going to bed to wash away the pollen and spores that stick to your hair and skin. This will prevent the allergens from getting into your bed.
Watch your local news or look in the newspaper for reports of your areas pollen counts. You may also access this information at the National Allergy Bureau’s website. This can help you be aware of the allergies present and make is easier to plan your activities for the day.
I hope these tips are helpful to you in preventing exposure to substances that cause allergy attacks. These simple precautions combined with the effort of your physician can lead to a healthier life with less allergy attacks.