Food Allergy Toolbox
Dr. Hoyt's Favorite Resources for Families with Food Allergy
And check out even more resources on the Hoyt Institute of Food Allergy Online Learning Portal!
Food Allergy Toolbox Contents
You probably have a letter/email you share with parents at the beginning of the school year that introduces them to your kiddo's food allergy. This is an accompaniment to that email!
Download and complete this form, then snap a pic with your phone, and attach the pic in your email. Voila!
In this simple image, you will see how an allergic reaction actually happens!
Mast cells are the main allergy cell involved in allergic reactions. Mast cells have IgE on their surfaces. That IgE is very specific, meaning it binds lock-and-key to the allergen that matches it.
When IgE binds to its allergen, that binding ultimately sends a signal to the nucleus of the cell. That nucleus then directs the cell's granules to exit the cell and go out into the tissues and blood stream. Those granules are filled with the chemicals that cause the symptoms of allergic reactions.
Note: epinephrine is the medicine that combats all the symptoms of anaphylaxis AND shuts down those activated mast cells.
Ever wonder how to concisely yet effectively provide your babysitter or nanny with emergency information? Use this Babysitter Guide!
This guide is a one-page, printer-friendly tool onto which you fill in important information to guide your kiddo's sitter in case of emergency.
A great place to display this guide is on your fridge, next to your kiddo's anaphylaxis action plan and epinephrine auto-injectors.
I curated my favorite resources for where to find up-to-date information on all things back-to-school during COVID-19. This is especially helpful for school nurses!
Don’t wait until the last minute to pack your evacuation bag! Here’s a list of items you’ll need for your kiddo with food allergy.
The days leading up to your kiddo’s food challenge may seem kinda nerve-racking, so do what always helps a stressful day – get organized and prepared! Use this list in addition to resources from your allergist to help you prepare for your kiddo’s ingestion challenge.
How many food allergy reactions, test results, ingestion challenges, and epinephrine auto-injectors has your kiddo had? This tool helps you organize all that information, distilling it into single pages of data to help you better grasp your child’s journey.
These pages are also a great way to confirm that you and your allergist are on the same page (pun intended!) regarding interpretation of results. This can improve shared medical decision making.
