It's that time of year, time for fun fall activities and that means for many trips to the pumpkin patches and orchards! However, trips like these are loads of fun [ for all!] they can prove to be more than a notion for those of us who live with Asthma and Allergies.
Many kids and adults have to deal with asthma and allergy issues year round
[ myself included! ], but others may only become triggered during certain times of the year, or in a particular environment. Shown above are various common allergic symptoms experienced throughout the fall season.
[ Oh yeah, this is me sometimes year round! Ha Ha!! My hubby calls it the Uncle Fester effect! -From the Addams Family! ]
One other annoying symptom many of us experience, both kiddos and adults is something my Allergist calls Allergic Shiners ;() Allergic shiners are darkened circles under the eyes resulting from various degrees of nasal congestion, and if you experience year round allergy symptoms those shiners could worsen during the fall season! Just peachy! LOL
So what can we do to ensure the safety and health of loved ones who choose to participate in these fall activities? First line of defense is to continue with regular medical checkups and making sure that the proper levels of medications are being taken. If there needs to be an adjustment made in meds your health care provider will do so. Before you head out into that pumpkin patch or orchard get up to date with all of your meds!
Outdoor venues like pumpkin patches and fruit orchards, farms ect... are full of environmental triggers such as mold. Yep, pumpkins sit on the ground and become damp especially underneath where the bottoms of the pumpkin meet the cold moist dirt and this is a hot bed for mold growth.
Mildew is another allergen trigger. Leaves that have fallen onto the ground can remain wet or damp in cooler weather or after it rains and can develop mildew. Pumpkin crops are rip for the picking for mildew as well. The offending allergen can be transferred into the air from the leaves, and pumpkins onto small hands [ adult hands too :^ ] and deposited right into noses and lungs!
[ Hay can be a fairy common allergy and asthma trigger, and often unknown unless you've been allergy tested. If you or your child begin to feel any itchiness, rashes, tightening of the chest or obviously breathing difficulties, remove get to your doc or the hospital immediately. Sigh, living an allergic life in an allergen driven world! ]
Straw and hay bales, even corn fields all harbor mold, not to mention can further place a big red check mark onto you or your child's health if there are hay or corn allergies. If you or your teens do choose to participate in the local spook houses, keep in mind that fog machines can also trigger an Asthma Attack; even quick weather changes and moments of being scared which can create (temporary anxiety) can trigger an asthma attack. Always carry you epi-Pens and rescue inhalers along to these events.
[ This is a long held fall time fun activity, unless you're an allergic! Be mindful if you choose to let your kiddos have at it into a plump pile of leaves! Stay prepped with wipes, meds, and a shower and change of clothes for afterwards to prevent the transfer of allergens like mold into your home. ]
[ Craft fairs are a plenty this time of year, so check with your local city to find some creative fun! Libraries are also good places to check for kids seasonal activities. ]
If you or family members live with multiple allergy triggers such as those discussed, there are plenty of other fall time fun activities to participate in. Check in your local and surrounding areas for fun things for the family to do that are NOT pumpkin or farm related.
There are many fall fairs around the country with countless things for kids to participate in. Often your city parks and recreations have listed activities to choose from. What about a family trip to your local children's museum or science center? Roller-skating is fun all year round.!
[ Btw, skating is gluten free! :() Ha Ha!! ]
If necessary make sure to pack plant of allergy safe fun treats ( there are plenty
available in the markets nowadays too!) to bring along. If you have teens who are feeling left out of fall activities, suggest something on their own territory such as a video game party ( What teen would say no to that? :() ), or a cooking event, or board game party. If you put your creative mind to it, you'll find a multitude of fun activities in which no child of any age will feel like their missing out on fall fun! It's just a matter of a shift in thinking and developing new traditions!
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