Creating a Medical Care Plan for a Child with Allergies

 

Having a child with allergies can be difficult. Not only are you constantly checking that they do not eat or come into contact with the specific allergy, but you also have to trust that others are aware of this allergy, as well. Having a school aged child with serious allergies is especially difficult. Successful avoidance of an allergy is best achieved with preparation. Prepare to inform everyone and always be prepared for an allergic reaction to occur.

Educate yourself on the allergy

Unless you have the same allergy, it is likely that the allergy is new to you. It can be extremely helpful and valuable to educate yourself on what causes it, what it does to the body, and what to do when an allergic reaction occurs. This allows you to prepare and avoid unknown situations or foods that contain the allergy. In addition to educating yourself, ensure that close family members, friends, and the child are also educated. The more you know about the allergy, the better that you can prevent it. It will also prepare you to inform new friends or parents about your child?s allergy.

Remove all allergy possibilities from the home

Although you cannot entirely prevent your child from being around the allergy item, you can create a safe household for them. For example, if the child is allergic to peanut products, ensure that there are no peanut products in the home. It is too easy for those allergy products to get in touch with other products and to cause medical products. If the allergy is something outdoors, hire a professional landscaper to remove all products with it. About 85% of Americans are allergic to poison ivy, but the level of allergy symptoms differs among people. Make sure your child is aware of these home renovations, so they know to avoid these same conditions in friends or family member?s households.

Notify the school

Children spend a lot of time in school settings. It is very important that you notify the school of the allergy. You will want to inform the school principal, any teachers, and any counselors or school medical providers. The more people that are aware of the allergy, the more prepared the school is. In addition to notifying the school, you should also inform them what to do in the event that the child is exposed to the allergy and that an allergic reaction does occur. Should they call for medical help? Is there a medication that they can immediately administer? Should they call you before calling for emergency medical help? Can they get help from a local urgent care treatment center?

Create an emergency treatment plan

Most allergies have a type of medication that can be administered should your child come into contact with the allergy. However, upon administration, you should also take them in for medical care. It may not be realistic for you to wait until your primary doctor opens in the morning. You should also have an afterhour?s doctor that you can visit. Who this doctor is will likely depend on the severity of the allergy. If the reaction is life threatening, it is probably best to visit an emergency room. However, if the doctor visit is simply for a quick checkup, a visit to one of your local urgent care locations may work.

Walk in urgent care centers are an option for allergy care. In fact, an estimated 3 million patients visit urgent care centers each week, according to the Urgent Care Association of America. With 20,000 physicians currently practicing Urgent Care medicine today, walk in clinics are a great option when you require allergy care, but do not want to wait for your normal physician?s office to open.

It takes education and awareness to provide a safe environment to children with allergies. You have to provide the child with a safe environment away from that allergy. You also have to notify friends, family, and school employees of this allergy. It can also be helpful to have a local urgent care center in mind for treatment after an allergy exposure. Preparation is the best way to prevent dangerous allergy reactions.