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ambersky

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What's Happening Now

June 2, 2010 11:00 pm

My son has a severe peanut allergy, we also avoid tree nuts. While he’s never had a reaction to just being around peanuts his allergist has suggested we do what we can to avoid contact. Flying makes that difficult. We’ve only flown once since we found out about his allergy and thankfully it was not on a flight that served peanuts. I did later take a flight (on Delta) by myself where they served peanuts and it made me cringe. I think that they should stop serving peanuts or things that directly contain them. Yes, other passengers could bring on their own, but that isn’t as bad as the entire plane having a package of peanuts!!! And just because you haven’t currently had an airborne reaction to peanuts doesn’t mean you won’t have one ever. Most (responsible)… more »

…allergy sufferers carry their own epinephrine auto injector BUT I don’t think it would hurt for the airlines to carry a few in their medical supplies. We typically carry two because I know that the effects of it can wear off in 15-20 minutes, so just in case we are far from a hospital we have an extra, but I know not everyone does that, or even if they do, being in an airplane it is likely to take much longer to get the medical help you need. I would love to see a ban on peanuts though, I’d feel better about flying if that happened and possibly do it more often, especially since trips back “home” take almost 20 hours by car! « less
June 3, 2010 5:06 pm

Oh yeah, it’s fad, everyone wants to be allergic to peanuts. I’m sorry but that was rude! I hope and pray you NEVER EVER have to deal with the anxiety of having a loved one DEATHLY allergic to peanuts (or anything). It is nerve racking day in and day out about the possibility of them going into anaphylatic shock. I think more education needs to be done so more people understand how bad these allergies have gotten and how much they have risen over the years. Maybe then you and others wouldn’t say things like that!

June 4, 2010 7:35 pm

I think more education needs to be made, period, not just in flights. I have had people not understand why I ALWAYS have my son’s epipen on me even when no signs of peanuts are seen. They don’t understand the need to limit exposure best they can, and on a flight it’d be very difficult to limit it. I do think if complete bans aren’t made an announcement would be a good start, but since education on the subject isn’t well known, most passengers just wouldn’t care. I think it’s sad that people do not care that they are risking the life of someone, just so they can have a package of peanuts or peanut butter snack that they could wait til AFTER the flight to have, that won’t kill them, but the peanuts could kill my child or someone deathly allergic.… more »

…I once compared my son being around peanuts as to someone else eating their snack/lunch with rat poison on the tray/table. Would anyone want to eat or sit with poison right next to them? Well, peanuts are poison to people with allergies to them! The risk is always there regardless of a ban, but with a ban at least it might be less likely to happen. I just saw this video today and I think it helps explain the seriousness of these allergies.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yriX-3UwrCA « less
June 4, 2010 7:37 pm

I’m not her, and don’t know if that info would be found on this site, but http://www.foodallergy.org/ is a great source of info on food allergies and anaphylaxis.

June 4, 2010 7:44 pm

I think they all use their responsibility by continuing to take the medications needed in a reaction, but as others have said epinephrine only lasts 15-20 minutes, then the person needs other medical intervention.

June 4, 2010 7:45 pm

I agree with chartley81. My child has a right to live. What about the fact that other things have been banned on airlines-weapons, the amount of shampoo a person can bring on board, etc. I think you can survive not eating peanuts for a few hours, but my son may not survive the flight if you decide to touch the armrest with a peanut oil covered hand and then he touches it. yes there are always risks but banning it lessens that risk to an extent.

June 3, 2010 8:14 pm

Thanks to those that have commented on this thread. We know that this can be an emotional topic for all involved.

Ambersky, you mention education as a means to combat the problem. As airlines currently make a preflight announcement about seat belt use, do you think airlines should also make an announcement about peanut allergies?

What other steps should airlines take?

June 5, 2010 2:13 am

“Food Allergy Among U.S. Children: Trends in Prevalence and Hospitalizations”
Centers for Disease Control (CDC)
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db10.htm

June 5, 2010 3:21 pm

A peanut-free table is less likely to have smears of peanut butter on/under it. Risk of exposure is reduced which is not as good as eliminated but is better than full exposure. I see the parallel with these flight proposals. Ban peanut products. Yes, people will “sneak” them. However, the risk will still be reduced over the nothing that we are doing now.

June 15, 2010 4:17 pm

Where is your “right” to fly? Or where is your “right” to limit my choices? The shampoo ban is supposed to be to prevent liquid explosives from being brought onboard, not to prevent exposure to some allergic to it. Sure I can “survive” without eating peanuts, but you know what, you can also survive without flying wherever it is you are going, why is it what you can survive is more important than what I can survive without? What makes you more important than the 98% of the population that is not allergic to peanut products?

June 17, 2010 5:37 pm

Allergist has an agenda. the fact that he has never reacted is more telling than any suggestion by the self-servig allergist.

June 17, 2010 5:45 pm

And what makes you think your kid is actually allergic? Did you read a news story about the one person in the history of the world who actually had said allergy and assume YOUR kid must be the other one? Munchasen by Proxy – look it up.


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