Recently, a school bus full of commuting kids had to be evacuated and decontaminated. Surely that kind of drastic measure would only be taken for something serious like a chemical spill or an outbreak of TB? Nope -- that's not what happened at all.

Students were rushed off the bus because a peanut fell on the floor. Yes, peanuts on a bus can pose a danger for kids with nut allergies, but I think the real problem here is the fact that the kids on the bus couldn't be trusted to not eat off the floor.

Isn't this nut allergy craze getting a bit out of hand?

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Because of possible food allergies, it's usually recommended to not feed babies common food allergens such as peanuts, eggs, wheat, dairy, and seafood until they're at least one. Waiting until they're three is even better. What's more, certain varieties of fish have high levels of mercury which children shouldn't be exposed to.

New research is challenging those old beliefs. The American Academy of Pediatrics recently revised their recommendations and now states that children as young as 4-6 months could have certain foods including fish. Further research shows that babies who eat fish before reaching 9 months have a reduced risk of eczema.

So what are new parents to do? As always, it's important to introduce new foods slowly. And speak to your child's doctor before introducing any of the foods that were previously off-limits for babies. When it comes to your child's health, it's better to be cautious.

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A small glass of 100% fruit juice is a good part of a healthful breakfast, right? If you're on certain prescription medications, your fruit juice may be doing more harm than good.

Grapefruit juice, for example, can interfere with blood pressure medication and actually increase its efficacy, subsequently creating a risk of overdose. Conversely, recent research suggests that grapefruit juice may prevent certain anti-allergy medications from absorbing into the bloodstream properly. A component of grapefruit juice called naringin appears to be the culprit.

Researchers state that this finding may be the "tip of the iceberg" as other juices, including orange and apple, also contain naringin-like substances that may have similar effects.

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Last year, my son had a classmate with a peanut allergy. In consideration for this child, parents were asked not to send in treats for the class that contained peanuts. But there was no school-wide ban on peanuts or peanut butter. Kids were still welcome to bring the old PB&J standby in their lunch boxes. Many schools, however, are choosing to make school-wide peanut bans to protect kids with allergies.

I'm not allergic to peanuts, but I am allergic to tree nuts. As an adult, it's difficult to know exactly what foods contain nuts that I may be allergic to. So, as a safety measure, I just don't eat anything that I'm not sure of. I can imagine that this type of self-monitoring is even harder for school-age children. And seeing how kids trade things in their lunch boxes so frequently, I can see where a peanut ban could be wise. (Imagine a kid bringing in a chocolate chip cookie that has some peanut butter in the batter. If that was given to a kid who has allergies, the child may not guess that there are peanuts in there, and then have an allergic reaction.)

So I wouldn't mind if there were a ban on peanut-based products altogether at my son's school. But some parents disagree and feel that the needs of a few shouldn't dictate what the majority does.

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• Mix baking soda and water to make a paste, and apply to the sting.
• Lay a fresh slice of onion or garlic on the area, or eat them instead.
• If you can find them, plantain leaf or calendula flower can also be rubbed on the wound.

Before trying any of these, however, the stinger needs to be carefully scraped out (not pulled!). If you're allergic to bees or think that you're having an unusual reaction, forget the natural remedies and get medical attention -- pronto!

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Ever had someone tell you they were allergic to exercise? I bet you rolled your eyes and thought, 'yeah, right!.' But it just so happens that some people do have an allergy to exercise--it's extremely rare but it does happen.

According to Fitsugar, It's called exercise-induced anaphylaxis, and it's symptoms include feeling itchy and hot within the first few minutes of exercise, followed by more pronounced symptoms like hives, fainting, vomiting, difficulty breathing and swollen lips, throat and eyes. But before you go self-diagnosing yourself, remember this: There's only been 1,000 documented cases in nearly 40 years, so it's pretty rare.

Want to know more about exercise-induced allergies? Head over to Fitsugar for more info.

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It's that time of year again, the sniffling, sneezing, itchy-eye time of year. Pollen is a major trigger for people with allergies, and since it's not springtime without pollen, there's little you can do to avoid it completely.

If pollen gives you a problem, however, you can reduce your exposure to it. WikiHow has a few answers for you, including:

• Know what you're allergic to and find out when your peak season is.
• Stay inside on windy days and when the pollen count is high.
• Use an air conditioner when necessary.
• Buy a reel lawnmower to reduce exposure while cutting the grass.
• Wear sunglasses outdoors to keep pollen out of your eyes.
• Take a shower after working in the yard.
• See your health provider if your allergies aren't easily controlled.
  

Believe me, I know that allergy season is no fun. But by being mindful of what you're allergic to and taking care to prevent attacks, you can still enjoy the beautiful spring weather and stay healthy too.

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Peanut allergies have become pretty popular. And what causes them remains a bit confusing.

When my now almost three-year-old daughter was a baby, our pediatrician told us the American Academy of Pediatrics recommended peanut consumption be delayed until age three because the allergy was believed to be developed due to repeated exposure at a very young age. But new studies suggest no relation between allergies to peanuts and when a child began eating them. This is what AAP had to say. Since the cause is still clear as mud, study authors recommend more research on the cause of early allergic reactions to peanuts, as well as successful prevention efforts.

Meanwhile, we're still eating sunflower seed butter in our house. This web page touts its similarity to peanut butter in consistency, taste and price and offers a nutritional breakdown (it does contain a bit more sugar than some peanut butters). We started when the pediatrician gave us the nitty gritty on nut allergies and we have no plans to stop. It's really tasty. I like it better than peanut butter. We pick up a couple jars every time we go to Trader Joe's. But it's also available in other local markets.

So until researchers come up with some more news on peanuts, consider sunflower seed butter as a tasty alternative that you don't have to worry about.

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A dear friend of mine has just been diagnosed with myriad food allergies. Eggs and gluten are among them. As a result, the thought of her future in the kitchen, let alone in restaurants and at dinner parties, has become somewhat daunting.

But there's a resource that might ease her transition. Cooking Allergy Free is an online community of food allergy sufferers and catalog of information and recipes just for them. We introduced readers to the site before. But a recent site redesign makes it easier to find recipes tailored to specific allergy-diets and allows users to create their own profile. Administrators have also added to the vast library of recipes.

Those who create their own profile can include personal information and a photo, allow others to see their allergies, and allow people to privately contact them. And those who create profiles during the month of May will be entered in a raffle for a free cookbook of their choice.

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I don't know what it's like in your area, but where I live spring allergies are in full force. According to a doctor from the Michigan Sinus Center and the University of Michigan, nasal irrigation is an easy way to get relief. In fact, the doctor states that it's a good first line treatment and is often more effective than medications.

You can buy saline sprays over the counter, but this doctor recommends a solution made with a quarter-teaspoon of kosher salt, eight ounces of warm tap water, and a quarter-teaspoon of baking soda. You can administer the solution using a squeeze bottle and squeezing four ounces into each nostril. If you open your mouth and make a "K" sound the solution will properly exit through the other nostril.

So tell me... is it just me, or does the thought of this give you the heebie-jeebies, too?

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Peanut allergies may soon be a thing of the past, says Dr. Wesley Burks, a food allergy expert at Duke University Medical Center.

"I think there's some type of immunotherapy that will be available in five years," reports Burks who says ideally, this therapy would change a person's immune system response to peanuts from an allergic one to a nonallergic one.

This would be great stuff, given that peanut allergies are growing more and more common. And while many kids grow out of other food allergies -- milk and eggs, for example -- only 20 percent ever lose their peanut allergy, which often appears in the first three years of life and manifests itself in range of symptoms, from minor irritation to the whole-body allergic response called anaphylaxis.

Stay tuned for more on peanut immunotherapy. And be on the lookout for news on the genetic engineering front. Burks says genetics may one day produce an allergen-free peanut.

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Based on a six-year study of 9,000 children, German researchers have stated that having dogs may reduce a child's risk of developing allergies. In theory, exposure to pet-related allergens builds ups a child's immunity and helps reduce risk of allergies, asthma, eczema, and hay fever.

The study used parents' answers on detailed surveys from birth to age six. Blood samples were also taken from a number of participants to test for antibodies in the blood stream.

The same protective effect was not noted in children with repeated exposure to dogs, but without dogs in their home.

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I was in the checkout line at Target the other day and spotted a steam mop on the conveyor belt behind my stuff. I asked the woman behind me about it. She was trying it for the first time. At $40, she figured she couldn't lose. Well, anything but $40. But anyway, it piqued my curiosity. Turns out, it's the hot new trend in cleaning supplies.

A recent Washington Post article on the subject offers a pretty nice overview of the method. As for effectiveness and the potential to provide relief for allergy sufferers, steam cleaners seem promising. They are not a "magic wand," but myriad types of steam cleaners can apparently clean things from floors to outdoor grills pretty well. And because hot steam is touted for its ability to kill dust mites, mold and other allergens, they appeal to allergy sufferers.

Another lure is that the method offers a healthier alternative to chemical cleaners and is therefore kinder to the environment, especially waste water. But as with many eco-friendly efforts, there's an "inevitable weighing of pros and cons." Steam cleaners require electricity to use and energy for production and transport and will eventually add to solid waste in landfills.

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Special mattress pads, allergen-reducing fabric sprays, air filters, and so forth ... if you have asthma you may have invested lots of money in products such as these. Dust mites can be a big asthma trigger, and trying to minimize them is a good way to reduce asthma episodes. But a research group has determined that many of the special efforts people take to reduce allergens and dust mites aren't effective enough to make a difference.

Previous studies have reviewed both physical and chemical allergen reducers. The research group reviewed 54 studies. They found that, while many products were ineffective, others did reduce allergens as advertised -- but not enough to ward off an asthma attack.

If you currently own special products such as fancy vacuum cleaners, air filters, and mattress pads, feel free to keep using them. Many do reduce allergens, though they aren't effective enough to make much of a difference. A good habit to get into is washing sheets, blankets, and pillows often using high temperatures. Also, remove soft toys from your child's bed.

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A national survey revealed that allergies can affect kids in more ways that sneezing, runny noses, and itchy, watery eyes. The survey polled more than 1,000 families and found that kids who have allergies are more likely to be fatigued, irritable, and even "miserable." This bleeds into the children's activities including schoolwork and extracurricular activities.

If your child is one of the 40% of US kids who suffer from seasonal allergies, your first step is to see your doctor. Knowing what triggers your child's allergies is critical for helping them. But you can take some common measures that may minimize the effects. Wash your child's sheets and clothes frequently, keep your home well-vacuumed and as dust-free as possible, and purchase a HEPA air filter for your child's bedroom and for your living room.

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