Holiday Allergies

We have been sneezing like crazy at our house. I saw this story today from Medstar and wondered if all the Christmas decorations are to blame. I think my 6-year-old got out every holiday decoration he could find. We have three Christmas trees and lights everywhere. It looks a little tacky, but it was so much fun watching him. Anyway, I am sure there are dust mites on some of this stuff. I bought one of the trees at Big Lots about 10 years ago!

FROM MEDSTAR: Holidays are supposed to be fun, but it’s possible the things you’ve decked the hall with are bringing you down - with allergy symptoms! You can put the “merry” back into the season by eliminating the allergens nipping at your nose! Rochelle Doctor looks forward to the holidays, but she also has to look ‘forward’ to avoid allergy triggers. Rochelle Doctor “I’ve really worked at eliminating triggers, because once you’ve been exposed to a trigger, all you can do is take medication to try to control it.” Rochelle’s strategy starts with keeping her decorations as dust-free as possible from season to season.

Rochelle Doctor “Just take like a little brush, and just brush it off lightly, and put it in a plastic bag or Ziploc bag and then store it away.” Her allergy doctor takes the decoration advice a step further. Her allergy doctor takes the decoration advice a step further. Dr. Clifford Bassett “I usually recommend to individuals who believe they have allergies to try something that’s plastic, metal or glass that’s easy to clean.” In fact, this time of year can take a toll on many unsuspecting patients’ merriment. Dr. Clifford Bassett “Many sufferers complain of a variety of nasal and sinus symptoms during the holidays, and they don’t realize that they indeed have allergies, and they have holiday allergies that are making them worse.”

So what’s on the naughty list? Molds blooming on fresh trees… dust lurking on artificial ones… and strong scents. Dr. Clifford Bassett “The smallest amount of airway irritant such as smoke, fragrance, potpourri, incense and particularly candles, could really wreak havoc during the holidays.” There is hope, though, if you make a list of possible triggers, and have an allergist check it twice before the season starts.

Dr. Clifford Bassett “It’s important to find out if you have them because treatment really does work, and it helps to prevent symptoms from getting worse.” A way to avoid re-gifting yourself with holiday allergies next year! Food allergies can also present a problem during the holidays. Hidden ingredients in party foods, like nuts, seafood or dairy products can cause reactions. Doctor Bassett recommends that food allergy patients alert hosts or restaurants to their sensitivities, and also plan ahead by bringing a safe snack.

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

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Bed Wetting Questions Answered

Earlier this week we talked about kids and bed wetting and you had some questions about a drug used to stop kids from wetting the bed at night.

"I also would like to know more about the med Desmopressin. Can you get it over the counter or is it a prescribed med? Is it safe?"

Pediatric Urologist Dr. Benjamin Rhee said, "I try it in kids who have already tried everything else. We use it on kids after checking daytime issues, constipation issues and other medical issues." Dr. Rhee said he usually prescribes Desmopressin to older kids because that is when wetting the bed becomes a social issue.

Rhee said, "It is safe to use on little kids, but I don't like to use it until they are older." He said when taking Desmopressin, you can't take in a lot of fluids. "If the child is too young, they may not understand that and it could cause problems. 8-9 years old is when they tend to understand. Desmopressin is an anti-diaretic hormone-so the person doesn't make as much urine. If you take the medication and take in too much water, you will have too much water in the body."

Desmopressin comes in a nasal spray or a pill and is taken before bedtime. There are no major side effects with it besides that they have to cut back on water intake.
Dr. Rhee said, "With Desmopressin, we give it for 6 months and then stop and see if they wet again. If they do, they go on it for 6 months more months. Some parents will only use it on weeks when there is something special going on like a camp or slumber party."

What about the bed wetting alarms? Do they work? Dr. Rhee said studies are showing if the alarm system works, it works for the longest amount of time. "But it doesn't work as well because it tends to wake everyone else in the house, but the child," said Rhee. He said kids who wet the bed are usually heavy sleepers.

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

Not sure what to get your loved ones? Give a Skin Dimensions gift card! Surprise your loved ones with the choice of massages, facials, bareMinerals makeup, manicures, pedicures or let them choose products from a selection of over 25 national and international brands of skincare. Gift cards available in any denomination. Purchase at Skin Dimensions Day Spa, Skin Dimensions Boutique or online.

Wanted: Interviews

I am looking for new interviews for HOI 19. If you have a not-for-profit event coming up and would like to be considered for an interview, please email me at newsanchormom (at) gmail (dot) com. The interviews don't have to be about an event. They can also be on a topic that matters most to you.

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

Not sure what to get your loved ones? Give a Skin Dimensions gift card! Surprise your loved ones with the choice of massages, facials, bareMinerals makeup, manicures, pedicures or let them choose products from a selection of over 25 national and international brands of skincare. Gift cards available in any denomination. Purchase at Skin Dimensions Day Spa, Skin Dimensions Boutique or online.

Long Wait for Therapy Services

If your child needs developmental therapy, good luck getting the services. The state is behind on its payments to speech therapists and developmental therapists by 2-3 months. Many of them are looking for new jobs because they can't pay their bills. This, on top of a national shortage for speech therapists.

Speech Pathologist Sarah Ziemba says she absolutely loves her job, but she can't continue like this. She has been getting paid at least two months late since last December. "For me it has been a different way of thinking about things. What can I pay? What do I have to pay? Now I am looking for a new job. Providers are dropping out of the program because of the delay. In the last week, three therapists gave notice or cut back their hours. Kids are waiting for 3-4 months right now for speech. If things continue they will have to wait longer,” said Ziemba.

If therapists don't start getting paid, Ziemba worries kids will really struggle to get the help they need in a timely manner. Often times, the younger a child starts therapy, the better they do in school. Ziemba said, "I am a single mom with three kids. How can I bee a responsible parent/adult and continue to do the job I love? I worked hard to get this far. Do I get a new career, a side job or just quit?"

Developmental therapist Karissa Schmitz is in the same boat. She says it's not easy to keep your credentials for these types of jobs. She worries if people start looking elsewhere for work, they will lose their certification and the state will be extremely short on therapists. "It would be costly and take a lot of time to get those credentials back. Historically we have always seen a lack of therapists in the state. This is making it much worse," said Schmitz.

What about families who have kids who desperately need these services? What are they supposed to do? Ziemba said, "It is very frustrating for families. Some families are really out of luck. It feels so out of our hands. I think it will take a lot of people rallying together to get something changed.All social service programs are having similar issues. We are in the top ten of the worst states financially."

Ziemba says they only way to get your child therapy services immediately would be to pay out of pocket and have an independent contractor come to your home. She says some families who can afford to are resorting to this. The state pays therapies around $130 an hour. Most kids who see a therapist go once or twice a week.

I called the comptroller's office and Communications Director Alan Henry says they are getting about 3000 calls a week from state employees who are not getting their paychecks. Henry says right now the comptroller's office has $4.3 billion in bills that need to be paid-over 168,000 bills in all! Some bills date back to July 1st. He says the government is spending a lot more than it's taking in and there isn't a whole lot he can do. He says it is up to state leaders to figure out. "Everybody deserves to get paid on time, but a lot of people aren't who deserve it," said Henry.

What can you do? Call your representative and ask them what they are doing to resolve this problem before it gets worse.

Ziemba and Schmitz say not to give up if you think your child needs developmental help because birth to three learning is extremely important. You can still get a FREE developmental screening in a timely manner by calling Child and Family Connections. In Peoria, it's (309) 672-6360. If you need the services, the wait will most likely be several months, but you can fight to get in sooner!

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

Not sure what to get your loved ones? Give a Skin Dimensions gift card! Surprise your loved ones with the choice of massages, facials, bareMinerals makeup, manicures, pedicures or let them choose products from a selection of over 25 national and international brands of skincare. Gift cards available in any denomination. Purchase at Skin Dimensions Day Spa, Skin Dimensions Boutique or online.

Zhu Zhu Pet Controversy

FROM ABC: A popular stocking-stuffer is getting thumbs down from a consumer group today. It's just one of a highly-popular line of mechanical hamsters called Zhu- Zhu pets, but the makers insist none of their hamster toys pose any hazard to children.

They are one of the must-have toys this holiday season-the life-like hamsters called Zhu Zhu pets are zooming off the shelves. A concerned parent said, "As much as they may want it, You know, I gotta side on the side of safety and you know they're gonna have to pass on it."

The 'Good Guide' Consumer Advocacy Group says one of these hamsters-- is unsafe. The character known as Mr. Squiggles, carries high amounts of the potentially poisonous metal - antimony. Dara O'Rourke with GoodGuide said, "which is a metal which has potential health hazards related to it. Which if ingested in high enough levels can lead to cancer, reproductive health, and other human health hazards."

Antimony is often found in toys, but the government limits it to 60 parts per million. Testers for good guide say when they used an x-ray test, they found up to 103 parts per million in Mr. squiggles. Parent Diana Cordeo said, "That would certainly change my decision for getting it." Parent Ejesh Berdyyev said, "It's a horrible toy. I don't want my daughter to play with it."

But a renowned toxicologist we spoke with said those levels of antimony are far too low to cause any short or long term health problems. And another consumer group says the maker of the toys uses a different test that actually shows how much antimony will come off the toy - and that test, not the x ray, is the industry standard. O'Rourke said, "We're not recommending that you throw them away. But if you're concerned about it then we recommend that you call the company or potentially return the product if you feel it's not safe enough for your kids."

Cepia Corporation, the maker of Zhu Zhu pets - released this statement: " Our products are in compliance with all government and industry safety standards. They do not contain high levels of antimony in any way."

I actually had never heard of these things until today. Boy am I out of the loop on this one! My son just keeps asking me for a Nintendo DS.

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

Not sure what to get your loved ones? Give a Skin Dimensions gift card! Surprise your loved ones with the choice of massages, facials, bareMinerals makeup, manicures, pedicures or let them choose products from a selection of over 25 national and international brands of skincare. Gift cards available in any denomination. Purchase at Skin Dimensions Day Spa, Skin Dimensions Boutique or online.