Travelling with Allergies

If you planning a holiday or travelling with food allergies then check out our top tips for travelling with allergies to ensure a safe & enjoyable trip. Travelling abroad creates lots of excitement in the family, much needed sunshine & time out but if you or your child has serious allergies, you may feel anxious about travelling & keeping them safe. With some forward planning and preparation the whole family can have a great holiday.

Top tips for travelling with allergies

# Talk to your Health Care Professional

Talk to your health care professional and seek advice on travelling with serious allergies. They are best placed to advise you on your particular medical requirements. Ensure your prescriptions, medications and emergency plan are with you and up to date in case you need to refill them while away. If you are flying get a letter from your health care professional and a copy of your prescription to carry an adrenaline auto-injector or other medicines on board a plane.

# Flying with allergies

Contact your airline in advance and notify them of your allergies. For nut allergies ask if they will make an announcement restricting the sale of nut & nut products on the flight and to request that passengers do not open any nut products they have bought on board. Some airlines are very accommodating & will do this as a matter of course if you advise them of a severe peanut or tree nut allergy. Some may not, it’s better to know in advance and fly with airlines who will prioritise your safety.
Check whether food and snacks to be served on board are free from your allergens. If the airline can’t accommodate you, bring your own food/snacks. It is a good idea to bring extra in case your flight is delayed.
On the day of the flight remind the flight attendant once you board of your child’s allergies. If you have notified the airline already they should be happy to make an announcement to request other passengers refrain from eating food you or your child is allergic to that may cause an inhalation reaction.
If possible, board the plane early so you can clean your seat, fold up tray and the area around you to remove food residue using wipes. You may get a few funny looks buts it’s all part of the fun of being an allergy parent
Make sure your Epinephrine Auto-injectors are easily accessible and on you at all times, not in the hold or overhead bin, if you need it you need to be able to access it quickly. Also the hold of planes can be very cold and are not suitable for storing EpiPEns aor other adrenaline auto-injectors.
In the event of a reaction, inform the flight attendants immediately at the same time you begin administering treatment.

# Storing Adrenaline Pens

Adrenaline autoinjectors should ideally be stored in a cool dark place at room temperature, between 15 and 25 degrees Celsius. Our range of FRIO insulated wallets are perfect for storage where the temperature is warmer than 25 degrees Celsius. Adrenaline auto-injectors should not be refrigerated or stored in your car or in the hold of airplanes as the temp may fluctuate and reduce the effectiveness of the adrenaline.

# Eating Out

Bring a translation card for restaurants & eating out that explains your child’s allergies and how serious they are. Request that the card be shown to the chef to confirm they can cater for you before ordering. Before travelling, learn which ingredients and cooking techniques are used in dishes served in your destination country. Learn where allergen may be hidden in foods you may come across. For example, soy sauce commonly contains gluten and wheat.

# Kids Clubs

Talk to the kids club supervisor and make sure they fully understand and can cater for a child with allergies, bring your allergy management plan with child’s photo, allergy details and contact number for you. Have your child wear a travel alert bracelet to highlight their allergies to staff. Our travel medical bracelets have “Emergency” on the outside in 4 languages; English, German, Italian and French. Staff in kids clubs can change daily or from morning to afternoon so be prepared to brief staff each time on your child’s allergies & how to administer an adrenaline pen, if prescribed for your child it should be with them at all times.

# Confirm emergency numbers and nearest hospital/health care professional

Locate a health care professional and hospital near your destination. Confirm the local emergency number in case of a serious allergic reaction.

# Insurance

Check with your insurance provider if your policy covers allergies, anaphylaxis and asthma. Make sure you are not excluded by ‘pre-existing medical conditions’ clauses.
Some health insurance providers also do travel insurance & will cover existing conditions such as allergies.
For travel in Europe apply for a European Health Insurance Card. To obtain healthcare with the card, you can go to the nearest public system doctor, public hospital, or other public treatment centre and present your card. Check what you are covered for in the country you are travelling to before you go.

Other than that don’t forget the usual culprits, make sure your adrenaline pens and passports are in date & have a great time.

Useful Products when travelling with allergies.

Consider an insulated wallet such as FRIO. FRIO wallets keep your adrenaline autoinjector within safe temperatures of 18-26°C (64.4-78.8°F) for a minimum of 45 hours, even in a constant environmental temperature of 37.8°C (100°F).

Insulated Epipen Cases and FRIO Cooler Wallets

For peace of mind so you can be sure that your EpiPen, Jext, Insulin Pen or other temperature sensitive medicines are at the correct temperature at all times check out our dotcool mini smart temperature sensor

dotcool mini smart temperature sensor

Wear an alert wristband with allergy information and emergency contact numbers

Medical Alert Wristbands

Disclaimer: The information provided is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Allergy Lifestyle Limited (t/a) Allergy Lifestyle) uses reasonable endeavours to check the accuracy of information provided however no warranty is given that they are error-free. Always seek the advice of an allergy specialist and follow your anaphylaxis emergency care