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Doctors Will Manage Your Child’s Food Allergies

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For kids with food allergies, eating the wrong food can trigger a potentially fatal reaction. No wonder parents and doctors have been reluctant to abandon timeworn treatments, like allergy testing and avoiding problem foods.

Yet the dramatic rise in food allergies over the past 20 years has experts rethinking their approach, says pediatric allergist Brian Schroer, MD. His report on the latest food allergy research reveals seven new ways doctors are managing food allergies:

1. High-risk babies may be exposed to peanuts

Several studies, particularly the LEAP (Learning Early About Peanut) trial, found that exposing high-risk babies to peanut-containing foods ― rather than avoiding them ― significantly lowers the risk of peanut allergy. 

In babies deemed high risk because of eczema or egg allergy, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease (NIAID) recommends introducing peanut between 4 and 11 months of age.

2. Siblings of allergic children won’t need testing

The siblings of an allergic child or the children of allergic parents do not require allergy testing. They’re not much more likely to develop food allergies than children in the general population.

But doctors will still want to test children who have a known food allergy or whose moderate to severe eczema requires prescription steroid cream.

3. A positive test doesn’t mean kids must avoid a food

Doctors no longer automatically advise patients to avoid foods for which their child tested positive.

If a child has developed symptoms such as eczema after eating a certain food, Dr. Schroer instead advocates “food challenges” at a doctor’s office.

It may not be necessary to avoid the food or provoke lifelong anxiety about the possibility of severe reactions, he says.

4. Doctors will consider the psychological impact

Sitting at a separate “peanut-free table” at school or avoiding play dates is not necessary for many kids with food allergies.

The psychosocial risks are high, says Dr. Schroer. Studies suggest that doctors should ask kids with food allergies about fear, stress and bullying.

5. Your child will receive fewer oral steroids

New studies show that oral steroids are not effective in treating allergic reactions, including life-threatening anaphylaxis.

They suggest that while one dose may be effective, steroids are often prescribed for far too long after anaphylaxis resolves.

6. Allergy shots aren’t considered foolproof

While often effective in desensitizing the child to a food, allergy injections aren’t without risk.

“We don’t know their full long-term benefits and risks,” says Dr. Schroer.

Risks include anaphylaxis to the therapy itself, chronic nausea and stomach pain. Another risk: eosinophilic esophagitis, a chronic condition that causes trouble swallowing food and poor growth.

7. Your doctor may recommend counseling

Anxiety and low self-confidence can develop when kids feel vulnerable, fearful or singled out for concern and special treatment because of food allergies.

“The toll on mental health can be severe and lifelong,” says Dr. Schroer. “Kids may need coaching to feel confident about going out into the world to eat food safely.”

If you have questions about how your child’s allergy should be managed, talk to your pediatrician or to a pediatric allergist. Their recommendations may surprise you.

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Boy’s severe reaction to tick bite- First Aid Course

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A five-year-old Mullumbimby boy suffered anaphylaxis after a tick bite.
A five-year-old Mullumbimby boy suffered anaphylaxis after a tick bite.Photo: Contributed
Claudia Jambor
by 

A MULLUMBIMBY boy who nearly died from anaphylaxis caused by a tick bite is a rare case, a leading allergy specialist has said.

Billy Fetherston’s tick-induced anaphylaxis was exceptionally unique because the reaction had escalated since a previous bite, according to Sheryl van Nunen – a senior staff specialist in the Department of Clinical Immunology and Allergy at Sydney’s Royal North Shore Hospital.

“Only a minority have a reaction the next time. But it is possible and therefore, if you’ve had a really bad reaction you don’t have a lot of room to move,” Dr van Nunen said.

Dr van Nunen, who also sits on the committee for Tick-Induced Allergy Research and Awareness (TIARA), said tick-induced anaphylaxis is the least common and one of the most harmful reactions to tick bites.

Since September 2011, Dr van Nunen said she has seen about 185 patients who have suffered tick anaphylaxis from her area in the Northern Beaches of Sydney. Some of which she said have come to see her from the Northern Rivers.

Between 1997-2013, Australian Bureau of Statistics data recorded 41 fatalities from insect stings or tick bites.

Specifically, Dr van Nunen said there have been four known fatalities from tick anaphylaxis.

She said those who have died in Australia from tick anaphylaxis were “all in reasonable health” and stressed the dangerous reaction can be fatal.

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Paralysis tick
Paralysis tickContributed

Tick anaphylaxis remains “a peculiarly Australian problem”, Dr van Nunen said and cited only 19 reports of the reaction internationally.

She said the severity of the reaction in most cases warrants that people are armed with the right steps to prevent a reaction.

“This really is something that comes down to educating people because these are totally avoidable allergies in my view,” Dr van Nunen said.

Research at Mona Vale Hospital coupled with her own research, Dr van Nunen said not disturbing the tick is crucial to avoid an anaphylaxis.

“Anaphylaxis only happens when you pull the tick out or disturb the tick,” she said.

She said there have been no reports of baby ticks, known as Nymph or larvae, linked to causing anaphylaxis.

At the end of the day, Dr van Nunen said whether we are exploring or working in the great outdoors, we’re enter the tick’s domain.

“It’s their territory and we have to learn to live with it,” she said.

Dressing for the occasion Dr van Nunen said was among the best strategies to avoid a tick bite. Using insect repellents as well as wearing long sleeve shirts and pants fitted at the wrists and ankles are a good way to keep ticks off, she said.

Treat or maintain your backyard by mowing grass, or fencing off areas connecting into bushland were other approaches Dr van Nunen suggested to prevent exposure to ticks.

Dr van Nunen’s seven tips minimise the risk of allergic reactions from ticks:

  • Don’t scratch anything you can’t see because it could be a tick
  • Do not disturb a tick as it would squirt allergen into you
  • Kill the tick where it is by using a freezing spray called Wart-Off. Five sprays from a distance of about half a centimetre should kill the tick, she said.
  • For little ticks (larvae and nymphs) on those aged under four-years-old, use Lyclear and “dab it. don’t grab it!”
  • For adult ticks, freeze it, don’t squeeze it!
  • Remember household tweezers are tick squeezers, this pushes the allergen into the body that triggers a possible allergic reactions.
  • If you have had a tick anaphylaxis do not do not touch the tick, call 000 or go to the nearest Emergency Department and have the tick killed there.

Make sure you check our website for the most up to date info and also to book your first aid course training. www.canberrafirstaid.com

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Compound in cannabis could ease asthma

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Prof. Raphael Mechoulam, ‘father’ of medical cannabis, turns focus on asthma at Hebrew University’s Multidisciplinary Center on Cannabis Research.

By Brian Blum  NOVEMBER 5, 2017, 8:00 AM

Photo via Shutterstock.com

Hebrew University Prof. Raphael Mechoulam, known as the “father” of the medical cannabis industry, will lead a team investigating the benefits of non-psychoactive cannabis components for treating asthma and other respiratory conditions.

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In 1964, Mechoulam, was the first scientist to successfully isolate the THC component in cannabis. He was then a young researcher at Israel’s Weizmann Institute of Science.

Of the 140 cannabinoid molecules in the cannabis plant, the two main components are THC (the psychoactive component) and CBD, which has anti-inflammatory properties. CBD is the focus of much of Israel’s burgeoning medical cannabis research on diabetes, heart disease, autism, fracture healing and inflammatory bowel disease.

Mechoulam will conduct studies on CBD and asthma together with Prof. Francesca Levi-Schaffer at the Hebrew University’s recently established Multidisciplinary Center on Cannabis Research. The research has been commissioned by CIITECH, a UK-Israeli biotech startup headed by Clifton Flack, who cofounded iCAN-Israel Cannabis. The latter is beginning clinical testing on a cannabis formulation for insomnia.

Allergic diseases including asthma, allergic rhinitis, atopic dermatitis and food allergies affect approximately 20 percent of the global population.

Mechoulam’s asthma research aim is to identify “a possible inhibitory effect of a derivative of cannabidiol (CBD) on allergic airway inflammation.”

While asthma and allergies are generally well controlled by steroids or symptomatic drugs, some patients are steroid-resistant and have thus been labeled as “unmet clinical needs” by the World Health Organization. “We are looking forward to investigating whether the anti-inflammatory properties of CBD will work in treating this disease,” Mechoulam said.

Flack added, “Cannabis could well become this century’s wonder drug and we’re honored to have the opportunity to support Professors Mechoulam and Levi-Schaffer on this preclinical research project.”

The cannabis-asthma announcement coincided with Cannatech, the UK’s first-ever medical cannabis event, on October 26 in London.

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Adult-onset Food Allergies

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BY JESSLYN SHIELDS POSTED NOV 3, 2017
An allergy to shellfish is the most common food allergy among adults in the United States. Steve Chenn/Getty Images
An allergy to shellfish is the most common food allergy among adults in the United States. STEVE CHENN/GETTY IMAGES

We often think of food allergies as kids’ stuff: peanut-free elementary school classrooms, special dairy-free ice cream at birthday parties, and that one friend you used to have who couldn’t eat anything containing red food dye — which meant you got all his primo Halloween candy and he had to make do with Almond Joys.

But we don’t always develop our allergies as children; it’s just that childhood food allergies are studied more often than those acquired in adulthood. However, new research presented at the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) annual meeting finds that 45 percent of all American adults with food allergies have at least one allergy that only materialized in adulthood.

Arriving Fashionably Late

In 2015, the Chicago-based research team found that at least 15 percent of adult food allergy patients receiving care at Northwestern Medicine had at least one adult-onset food allergy. However, this was a small, nonrepresentative sample of Chicago-area adults. This new study surveyed a nationally representative sample of more than 50,000 adults, allowing the researchers to draw conclusions about the national prevalence of adult-onset food allergy.

Chef-restaurateur Ming Tsai cooks prawns in a separate fryer to accommodate customers with food allergies.
Chef-restaurateur Ming Tsai cooks prawns in a separate fryer to accommodate customers with food allergies.
MATTHEW J. LEE/THE BOSTON GLOBE/GETTY IMAGES

And it’s a lot higher than anyone anticipated. Compared with studies conducted a decade or more ago, the research team found that while a 2004 study estimated that 2.5 percent of adult Americans were allergic to shellfish (the most common food allergy among adults in the U.S.), this 2017 study found that number is more like 3.6 percent of the population. Same goes with tree nut allergies — a 2008 study estimated only 0.5 percent of American adults were allergic, but this new data saw a 260 percent increase, with an estimated 1.8 percent of adults having to avoid Nutella and almond butter. (Sad.)

“Adult-onset allergies are particularly interesting to study because they likely involve losing immune tolerance to foods that adults have already been previously exposed to and eaten without having an allergic reaction,” says co-author Christopher Warren, a doctoral candidate in preventive medicine at the University of Southern California, via email. “This is in contrast to childhood food allergies, which involve the immune system failing to develop tolerance to these allergenic foods in the first place. There may be two distinct mechanisms at work here.”

What’s Going On?

So, why would adults be losing their immunity chops when it comes to certain foods? A possible clue might lie in the demographic trends found in this study. The research team found certain populations were more at risk for specific adult-onset food allergies than others. For instance, Hispanic adults were all more than twice as likely to develop allergies to peanuts than whites, while Asians were more than twice as likely to develop shellfish allergies than whites.

“There are a number of interesting hypotheses currently under investigation as to why this might be,” says Warren. “For example, the intercultural differences in the ways that allergenic foods are prepared could be influencing the rates of food allergy to those foods.”

According to Warren, when foods like peanuts are roasted in the presence of sugar (undergoing a browning process known as the Maillard reaction), compounds called advanced glycation end products (AGEs) are created. AGEs have been shown to increase the allergenicity of foods. Boiling foods, on the other hand, tends to make their proteins less allergenic. This hypothesis may explain the low rates of peanut allergy in Asia, where peanuts are typically boiled or fried, relative to the Americas, where peanuts are typically dry roasted. This is consistent with what the research team found out about the prevalence of seafood allergies among Asian-American participants: Other population-based studies conducted in Asia have found shellfish allergies are the most common allergy among older children and adults there as well.

However, diet might not have everything to do with why certain populations develop allergies to specific foods with higher frequency.

“Recent work out of the HealthNuts cohort in Australia suggests that the Asian environment may be protective against food allergy,” says Warren. “Australian-born Asian children are at much higher risk of developing food allergies than Asian-born kids who move to Australia, possibly because they have been exposed to a different diet, bacterial and UV environment.”

Warren and his co-authors are interested in looking at differences in food allergy prevalence in the U.S. to see if similar differences are observable among U.S. migrants relative to those born in the States.

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Canberra takes to the water

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  • Kimberley Le Lievre

With sunshine and warm weather on the way, the Lake Burley Griffin water recreation season started with a splash on Sunday for the first instalment of a new kayak race.

The inaugural Lake Burley Griffin Water Week Challenge Cup saw nine teams racing over 2 kilometres from Commonwealth Place, around the Captain Cook Memorial Jet and back.

The event marked the beginning of Lake Burley Griffin’s 27 week recreational season, running until April 14, as well as the launch of a new smartphone application and website designed to help Canberrans find their nearest summer swimming spot.

National Capital Authority event coordinator Michelle Jeffrey said perfect conditions on Sunday saw the race by won team “Two Buoys and a Girl”.

Team members Ben Kirker, Morgan Evans and Ben O’Sullivan completed the course in just under 16 minutes.

“There’s been a lot of good feedback to the challenge,” she said.

“A lot of people have said they will try hard or enter a different team next year and the executive of National Capital Authority were very positive.

“Everybody finished with smiles on their faces and maybe a few sore muscles.”

Participant Rebecca Sorensen said she competed with two colleagues.

“With the weather warming up, it’s an exciting opportunity to get out on the lake and enjoy some friendly competition.

“For me, Lake Burley Griffin is all about the fantastic recreational opportunities that it offers, right in the heart of the city,” she said.

“It’s not just the water activities, but the parks and open spaces surrounding it where you can run, ride your bike, have a picnic. It really is a lovely part of Canberra.”

“I think the lake offers different things for different people. It was a key component in the Griffins’ plans for Canberra, and so is symbolic in the sense that it’s been part of the city plans from the beginning and continues to be a major feature.”

The Swim Guide app and website, designed in Canada and already being used in six countries, is supported by the ACT government.

It will include water quality and swimming information on locations around Lake Burley Griffin, Lake Ginninderra, Lake Tuggeranong, the Molonglo River, Molonglo Reach, the Murrumbidgee River, Paddy’s River and the Cotter River.

Canberra’s public pools are also preparing to come out of winter hibernation.

Dickson Aquatic Centre reopens on Monday, October 23, Manuka Pool reopens on Saturday, October 28 and outdoor swimming at Canberra Olympic Pool in Civic begins on Wednesday, November 1.

http://www.dicksonaquaticcentre.com.au/

https://www.canberraolympicpool.com.au/

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Anaphylaxis explained

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By Loretta Florance

Updated 

An EpiPen sits on a bench near its packaging.PHOTO: EpiPens can provide a shot of adrenaline that counteracts anaphylaxis. (Supplied)

Every year, thousands of Australians are hospitalised for anaphylaxis, often as a result of food allergies.

With one in 20 children and about one in 50 adults suffering from food allergies, worrying about having a severe, and possibly fatal, reaction to something you’ve eaten is a very real concern for many Australians.

So what exactly is anaphylaxis and what can you do to stop it? First Aid Course can help.

What is anaphylaxis?

Anaphalaxis is the most severe form of allergic reaction a person can have.

Symptoms:

Mild/moderate allergic reaction:

  • Swelling of lips, face, eyes
  • Hives or welts
  • Tingling mouth
  • Abdominal pain

Anaphylaxis:

  • Difficulty/noisy breathing
  • Swelling of the tongue
  • Swelling/tightness of throat
  • Difficulty talking/hoarse voice
  • Wheeze or persistent fault
  • Persistent dizziness or collapse
  • Pale and floppy (young children)

Source: Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy(ASCIA)

“It’s an immune system reaction,” Maria Said, from Allergy and Anaphylaxis Australia, said.

“So a person has an antibody to a particular food protein and when they eat that food their body has a reaction. It’s multi-system reaction often.”

The difference between an allergic reaction and anaphylaxis is the latter involves the respiratoryand/or cardiovascular system.

“People who have an allergic reaction often have skin symptoms, so they might have a rash, they might have some swelling of the face, the lips or the eyes,” Ms Said said.

Once it involves their breathing and/or their heart, the situation becomes dangerous and life-threatening.

“If the person has any breathing difficulties — they have persistent coughing or wheezing, they complain of throat tightness or they have a change in their voice — that’s all to do with the respiratory system,” Ms Said said.

“Or if the person becomes really pale and listless, they become really dizzy, that’s a sign that the cardiovascular system is involved.

“Any of those symptoms and you’ve got to act very quickly.”

Can you ride it out?

How to use an EpiPen:

  • Hold it in your fist, keeping your fingers and thumb away from the ends
  • Hold it with the “blue to the sky, orange to the thigh”
  • Pull the blue end off — it’s a safety release
  • Place the orange end between the knee and the hip on the outer thigh
  • You can use it through clothing, but avoid pockets
  • Push until you hear a click then hold if for three seconds before releasing
  • Keep the person laying down until an ambulance arrives (standing will cause their blood pressure to drop)

According to Ms Said, if someone has an anaphylaxis then the only thing that will reverse it is a shot of adrenaline.

“Adrenaline is a natural hormone that’s in our body but when we have an anaphylaxis, we don’t have enough adrenaline to reverse the signs and symptoms,” she said.

“So it’s critical that that person gets an EpiPen — which is the only auto-injector that we have containing adrenaline in Australia — it’s critical that’s injected promptly to save someone’s life.”

It is possible to survive anaphylaxis without a shot of adrenaline, but it’s a dangerous gamble.

“There are times when people have had an anaphylaxis and they have not administered adrenaline and they’ve been lucky that it has self-limited,” Ms Said said.

“But more times a person will need adrenaline. An anaphylaxis is unpredictable, you don’t know when it’s going to stop at that point or where it’s going to keep going.”

Adolescents are more likely to die from anaphylaxis if they also have asthma, as symptoms of the former can be mistaken for the latter, meaning people they are given a puffer instead of an EpiPen.

Because there is no register in Australia of deaths as a result of anaphylaxis, it’s hard to get a handle on how many people have actually died from it here.

In 2016, researchers led by Dr Raymond Mullins examined coronial records and data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).

The study found that the ABS had recorded 324 anaphylactic deaths between 1997 and 2013, and that the number of deaths had increased over time.

But researchers say this figure is likely an under-estimation of the real number of fatal cases of anaphylaxis.

Learn more about treatment in a First Aid Course.

What causes anaphylaxis?

Salty peanuts.PHOTO: Peanuts are one of ten foods which cause 90 per cent of allergic reactions in Australia. (Flickr: Martin L )

Dr Mullins study found that of the deaths recorded by the ABS most of those deaths were due to reactions to medication, followed by reactions to insect stings and bites, and food.

But a severe allergic reaction to food — particularly nuts — is more likely to kill young people and death from food-related anaphylaxis is rare.

Nuts (peanuts and tree nuts) are behind the majority of food-related anaphylactic deaths for people under 20 years old, but the ABS data actually showed more people overall die from attacks brought on by seafood.

Ms Said said there are ten foods that trigger 90 per cent of food-related allergic reactions in Australia.

Those foods are:

While people are more likely to suffer anaphylaxis outside the home, Ms Said said restricting the sale of such foods would be a bit over the top.

“That’s too much to ask for, these are nutritious foods. It’s just about people understanding the risk,” she said.

“Instead of using the one utensil to use all the salads in one night in a cafe, a clean bowl and clean utensils are used and people wash their hands between salads.”

Make sure you attend a first aid course before summer so you are prepared. Book in now and receive a free first aid manual and cpr first aid mask.

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ASTHMA BUDDY IMPROVED

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First Aid Training in Canberra. Asthma Buddy looks like a great little tool. Learn Asthma knowledge in our First Aid Training in Canberra. book at www.canberrafirstaid.com

National Asthma Council Australia has announced the launch of a new Asthma Buddy mobile website

The Council says Asthma Buddy is an easy-to-use and take-anywhere asthma management tool.

Preserving all existing functionalities, the improved Asthma Buddy lives on a mobile-only website with enhanced flexibility and reliability, available here.

The mobile-only website can house complete asthma action plans so that patients can refer to it to know what day-to-day asthma medication to take.

It’s also aimed at helping them recognise whether their asthma is getting worse, and gives them advice on what they should do in response.

“Asthma Buddy is an industry leading asthma management tool that people can personalise with their GPs to suit their needs, it provides guidance to take early actions and reassurance when experiencing an asthma attack,” says Stephen Hughes, National Asthma Council director and pharmacist.

“As pharmacists, we now have an excellent tool to use and recommend. Helping a patient to input their existing action plan to Asthma Buddy provides an ideal opportunity to discuss their understanding of their asthma medications, as well as adherence and inhaler technique.”

Similar to a phone app, the mobile-only website is easily accessible through any mobile devices, making it convenient for people with asthma to keep their asthma action plans handy.

A key feature of Asthma Buddy is its ability to house multiple profiles under one account, making it easy for use by parents or caregivers to manage medications for different people under their care.

Other features of Asthma Buddy include users being able to:

  • Record a preventer and reliever medication plan.
  • Help recognise whether symptoms (or peak flow measurements) are getting worse, and when to get help immediately.
  • Know what to do in case of an emergency including easy access to the First Aid for Asthma instructions on a mobile device.
  • Share PDF copies of asthma action plan with others, such as a GP and carvers.
  • Record and access the contact details for a GP or emergency contact person.
  • Access National Asthma Council’s library of How-To videos including clips showing the correct use ofvarious asthma and COPD inhalers.

“Asthma action plans are evidence-based and effective asthma management tools, now patients can upload them to Asthma Buddy and take it with them wherever they go,” Mr Hughes says.

 

The launch of Asthma Buddy is funded by GSK Australia. The National Asthma Council retained editorial control.

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Defibrillators just as important as first aid kits at work

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Danaella Wivell, The Cairns Post

Workplace health and safety usually means keeping a first aid kit in a visible place and having a fire extinguisher on a wall.

But St John Ambulance Queensland is urging more workplaces to have defibrillators in the fight to save lives, especially in the construction industry.

The building sector is recognised as one of the most dangerous industries for working Queenslanders with many health risks.

Australian Institute of Building National president Paul Heather said the high-risk nature of the building industry meant workplace health had to be at the forefront of employers’ minds.

“Currently, AEDs (defibrillators) are not compulsory on Australian worksites,” he said.

“It’s particularly alarming for the construction industry where workers risk their lives every day when navigating loose wires, operating machinery and generally working in environments that at times can be unpredictable.

“If the deployment of AEDs to all major construction projects were to save a single life it would be worth it.” PRIME Group director Andy Taylor said keeping people across multiple work sites in Cairns was of the utmost importance to him, especially in light of sudden cardiac arrest having little or no symptoms.

“If we can increase the survival rate just by having a defibrillator available in the event of an emergency, then we are happy to do our bit to achieve this,” he said.

“We know a defibrillator (AED) is not compulsory, but it is a vital piece of emergency first aid equipment and the only definitive first aid treatment for cardiac arrest.

“I encourage the entire building and construction industry to place the welfare of employees above all else during National Safe Work Month and beyond.”

The case for defibrillators

DR ABC, an easy way to remember “danger, response, airways, breathing, CPR” is an acronym that anyone who has taken a first aid course is familiar with.

But not as many know that for improved cardiac arrest survival rates the acronym has to extend out to D for defibrillate.

Almost 15,000 Australians die unexpectedly from sudden cardiac arrest each year.

The heart illness usually has no symptoms or signs before it strikes, and when it does strike it can be deadly without the right emergency response.

A Galaxy Research survey found that only 25 per cent of workplaces have a defibrillator, and only a quarter of employees know how to use one.

The research also found:

• 81 per cent of Queenslanders surveyed believe that automatic external defibrillators should be made mandatory in the workplace

• 83 per cent of Queenslanders surveyed believe that automatic external defibrillators should be installed in construction sites

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The bluebottles are coming

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One South Coast man got a stinging surprise when he visited Barlings Beach on Friday.

Brett Wallensky discovered a dense mat of bluebottles washed up on the rocks, south of Batemans Bay.

While the beachcomber said he had “never seen thousands of bluebottles in one spot before”, those heading to the coast this summer are likely to see a whole lot of them.

Their blue, baloon-like sails are a common sight in Australian waters during the warmer months. Dragging long tentacles beneath the surface, the pretty but mysterious sea dweller is known to deliver a sharp sting.

Blue bottles are siphonphores, a strange kind of colonial jellyfish. Rather than being a single organism, individuals (or “zooids”) each make up parts of the colony’s tentacles, digestive system and more.

Fortunately, Australian blue bottles are less venomous than their northern cousin, the Atlantic Portuguese Man-o’-War or “floating terror”.

But beachgoers are advised to stay well clear, as even dead blue bottles can deliver a painful sting lasting up to a few minutes or several hours.

While past remedies have included everything from vinegar to urine to warm beer, removing the stinger and running the affected area in hot water is now considered the best treatment.

More than 10,000 people report being stung by bluebottles in Australia every year, and that number can climb to 30,000 in peak years.

Last summer, blue bottle stings were reported to rise around the country, with beaches in NSW, WA and Queensland “overrun”.

 Make sure you know the treatment for blue bottle stings. Book in to one of our first aid courses in Canberra. www.canberrafirstaid.com

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Death from walnut allergy

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By Online Journalist  Global News

WATCH ABOVE: After an Edmonton contractor died following exposure to walnut particles, advocates and family are calling for better access to life-saving treatment. Quinn Ohler has more.

An Edmonton man’s death from exposure to walnut particles on the job highlights the need to make life-saving medications such as epinephrine more readily available, advocates say.

“I think it’s very important that anyone who’s having a reaction have access to epinephrine immediately,” Food Allergy Canada spokesperson Beatrice Povolo said.

“In situations where they do not have a device, or a second dose might be required, it is definitely beneficial to have stock epinephrine available in various public areas.”

On Oct. 2, Justin Mathews was doing contract work at the Rossdale fire station, where crews had been sandblasting using walnut particles. The 33-year-old started having trouble breathing and went into anaphylactic shock. He was rushed to hospital and taken off life support five days later.

READ MORE: Edmonton man dies after inhaling walnut particles used in sandblasting

Mathews’ family doesn’t know where his EpiPen was at the time, but said with the exception of one hospital visit, he had been able to control his allergic reactions using oral antihistamines.

Dr. David Huang, who specializes in clinical immunology and allergy, said a fast response is crucial to severe allergic reactions.

“The earlier you administer epinephrine, the faster and more effective it is. As soon as signs emerge… people should not hesitate to use it. People should be very familiar with how EpiPens should be administered.”

Mathews’ family is calling for EpiPens to be made available in public spaces. The City of Edmonton said on Monday that city facilities do not have EpiPens or the epinephrine drug.

Povolo said Hamilton, Ont. recently equipped all of its public community centres and facilities with epinephrine. And in Quebec, a restaurant chain stocks the drug at all its locations, she added.

“We would definitely recommend that various organizations or companies do look at that option as part of their First-Aid kit,” she said.

Povolo also believes the more information you can provide people with severe allergies, the better, and not just when it comes to food products.

“Looking at other products, as well, that individuals do purchase — whether they’re self-care products, cosmetics and other things that may potentially have allergens — is also quite important,” she explained.

“I think that in general, ensuring more information is always better in terms of potential allergens that people can be exposed to. I think that’s a key takeaway point, as well as ensuring that people with allergies carry their device and use it at the first sign of a reaction.”

READ MORE: Anaphylactic reactions can have rebound effect

Mathews’ family also wants to see material safety data sheets on the sandblasting product to warn people of the allergen.

Occupational Health and Safety has launched an investigation to see if all necessary precautions were taken at the site. The City of Edmonton said it is cooperating with the investigation.

Alberta Health said it needs to wait for the results of the OHS investigation before making any recommendations.

Watch below: The family of a 33-year-old Edmonton man speaks out about the danger of airborne nut particles after he died when he was exposed to an allergen on a worksite. (Filed Sunday, Oct. 22, 2017).

Book first aid training at www.canberrafirstaid.com

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