Do food allergy concerns cloud your vacation plans? Get a doctor on speed dial
Posted by Cris on | April 17, 2011 | 6 Comments
Many parents are afraid to take their food-allergic kids out to a restaurant – never mind an entirely new country. Holidays are fraught with peril: what will they eat, what will I do if they have a reaction – and where do I go if it’s a really bad one? The epi-pen, after all, only buys you an hour or so to get to a hospital.
But we can’t let our fears fence us in. We need to eat out. We need to go on vacation. We need to teach kids to explore the world and embrace life, even as we teach them to watch carefully what they eat.
One option is to splash out a bit more than you normally would on a traditional travel insurance policy, and get a doctor on speed dial. Companies like International SOS provide “travel assistance” to their members, which goes way beyond basic travel health insurance: their service comes with 24-7 advice from in-house doctors, guidance on local hospitals all over the world, and even emergency evacuation, if things go really pear-shaped.
Dr. David Teo, International SOS
Dr. David Teo, Singapore and Malaysia Medical Director for International SOS, talked to sneezywheezy.com over the phone about the kinds of services they offer families with severe allergies.
Prior to joining International SOS, Dr. Teo was the Chief Army Medical Officer of the Singapore Armed Forces, holding the rank of Colonel. He obtained his Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery from the National University of Singapore, followed by a Master in Medicine in 1993.
SW: What pre-travel services do you offer families like ours, whose kids have severe food allergies?
Dr. Teo: Parents can contact us, and give us their itinerary before they travel. We’d say ‘these places are rather remote, there’s not a GP or clinic for miles around – we’d advise you not to go’. Or “these are places where medical facilities are present, but bad”. And we’d give you the contact details of good hospitals that we have accredited, in the locality.
SW: What happens if a child has a bad reaction while on holiday?
Dr. Teo: My doctor will take the family through it all, over the phone, based on what parents say about the symptoms. We’d say ‘ok, administer the epi-pen now, as instructed.’ We may ask the hotel to arrange transportation to a clinic we suggest – we’d also call the clinic, and say ‘please bring the doctor in’. In many places in the world, the doctors are not in at night. We will alert the clinic or hospital and make sure the doctor’s there. We then follow up with the doctor on the condition. About 80% of cases of should resolve after the treatment. If they develop complications, like going into septic shock Anaphylactic Shock , we will then arrange an emergency evacuation.
SW: Are there vacation spots in Southeast Asia that families with kids who have known anaphylactic allergies should avoid? Or places that are better to go to, because they have good emergency medical facilities nearby?
Dr. Teo: Phuket certainly has good facilities; one of the top hospitals there is Phuket Bangkok Hospital, which has a very good emergency department. But we don’t want to tell clients where they should travel to – it’s better for client to call us and tell us where they are going and we can advise them from there. Even if they are going to Siem Reap (Cambodia) where Angkor Wat is, there are a few hospitals (we work with). But if a child had multiple allergies, it’s better not to be too adventurous and go to a rural area. I’d advise sticking to a larger city or resort town with good medical facilities.
SW: What other advice to you have for families like this?
Dr. Teo: Children who have (food) allergies usually have other medical problems, like asthma. Asthma kills more children than allergies. And one of the bad things that happen when you have an allergic reaction is not just the drop in blood pressure, but the bronchial spasm: the larynx and airways shut down. The adrenaline (injection) you give your child works to open the airways. But we do advise people to carry a broncho-inhaler as well – not just the epi-pen. You give the epi-pen once, but if the lungs are still tight, and you’ve got a way to go to the hospital in your locality, the inhaler is very helpful in opening up theairways in the meantime.
In a situation like this, it’s very helpful to have our medical staff, just a phone call away. We know where they are, where the hospital is, what the locality is like – we may say please, just take a taxi because it’s faster than having them send an ambulance down. Local knowledge helps.
SW: Thanks very much, Dr. Teo.
Note to readers: While the bulk of International SOS’s clientele are large multinationals, which buy corporate memberships to cover their staff & families, they do sell individual memberships as well. An annual individual medical membership costs S$346.50, and a family annual medical plan is S$1,039.50. These plans cover unlimited travel within the year. You can contact International SOS in Singapore at 6338-2311 and speak to Diana Lu.
Tags: allergies > Dr. David Teo > International SOS > singapore > Thailand > travel
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6 Responses to “Do food allergy concerns cloud your vacation plans? Get a doctor on speed dial”
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June 12th, 2011 @ 9:02 am
Hi Guys,
I cant tell you how pleased I am that I found you all.
We live in Australia and are coming to Singapore for a family holiday in august with our son (10yrold) who has nut allergies. Thankfully we have friends who live there that we are staying with, so I will be able to prepare most of Joshua’s meals. Our friends do not have any experience with allergies and unless you live with someone with an allergy it is hard for people to understand our daily struggles with food.
As you all can appreciate reading food labels are a standard part of our daily routine.I am however concerned that I will not be able to get the same nut free options that I get here over there. Guidelines here are very strict with labeling so it is very easy to identify what he can and can’t have.
I would really appreciate if you all could give me some tips on good places to shop for groceries that will give me options for him. And eating out options. McDonalds over here is a great little out and about treat for Josh. Their website provides a full list of ingredients and a food sensitivity chart. However Mcdonalds Singapore doesn’t provide the same information, has anybody had any experience eating there with nut allergy child.
Sorry for the long winded post but I do not want him to miss out on anything because of his allergy. Earlier this year he went into anaphylactic shock (after a food challenge conducted by the childrens hospital) even after administering antihistamines and 2 shots with the epi-pen we nearly lost him. Thank god for ambulence officers and doctors.
As you can I am almost breaking out in hives at the thought of managing food for him over there. But I really want him to see that his allergy will not prevent him from living a full life.
Any tips would so very much be appreciated
June 12th, 2011 @ 3:27 pm
Hi,
I hope you have a great time when you come to Singapore! It is a great place for families. My son CJ is also anaphylactic to peanuts, and eating out can be tricky. Not all of the products here are labelled, so it is often difficult to tell if a certain food item either contains nuts or has been produced on a nut handling line. The difficulty in eating in restaurants can be that the staff don’t know where the products come from.
When CJ was first diagnosed with the nut allergy we were told by the doctor to avoid eating in places that serve Asian food, because of the high use of peanut and peanut by-products (and the risk of cross-contamination). This is advice that my husband and I have stuck to religiously.
Firstly, McDonalds here is fine, CJ has chicken nuggets and they do not contain peanuts, we make sure CJ avoids their curry sauce though as it does contain peanuts. Also try Marche at 313 @ Somerset on Orchard Road tel: +65 6834 4041. They were great and there are different stations for the different foods, the grilled meat had no nut or peanut products when we went (which I hope is still the case). The manager was helpful and he went around to double check all the ingredients and he really seemed to know his stuff! But please double check if you decide to go there, but hopefully things have not changed. We tend not to eat out with CJ though, and if we do we always take back up food with us just in case. If you don’t trust that the restaurant understands what you are saying, don’t eat there.
If you would like to give me an idea of the type of food that your family like to eat, I’ll try and find some places for you to try that are safe for Josh. Let me know! Does Josh have any other food allergies?
There is currently a bit of an epi-pen shortage in Singapore, so make sure you have enough to bring over. We have also been told by the Doctors here, in case of a reaction go to the nearest hospital, not a medical centre. If you need any doctors information etc please let me know.
The Cold Storage shops here are great, they carry a lot of food from New Zealand, Australia and the UK – all of which have to adhere to strict labeling laws in their respective countries. Nuts are one of the allergens that have to be included on the food labels for all of these places. They also have treat items such as Sweet William in a few of the branches, I have found these products at the Nex. The only item I have not been able to find are lentils that are not produced in a nut free factory. But again, if there is any particular food item that you are after let me know and I will have a look!
Its really important to stress here, that Singapore is a great place to visit! You will be able to cater to Josh’s peanut allergy here. I hope you have a wonderful stay! if you need anymore information, please let me know!
Vicky
June 22nd, 2011 @ 8:50 am
Dear Vicky,
Thank you so much for taking the time to respond. The information you have provided is fantastic. It certainly puts some of my concerns to rest.
Thankfully Josh is only allergic to nuts but does also suffer from asthma. The worst of his allergies are to Peanut, walnut, pecan and hazelnut.
The recent anaphylactic shock he suffered was from a Pecan challenge. The pecan was one that the specialist said was a borderline result, hence the challenge. Unfortunately the whole thing went horribly wrong. So we will go back to being 100% safe and avoiding all nuts. And we will be travelling with 2 epipens.
I have looked at Singapores customs requirements and they dont seem to have the same strict regulations about bringing food into the country that Australia has. So I will be bringing Joshys breakfast cerals, treats (we love the sweet william spread) and snacks. I buy Freedom food products (http://www.freedomfoods.com.au/) for him, Do you know if this is available there?
Also do you have any issues buying nut free bread? I go to a local bakery here that knows our issues so we have no problem. If you could suggest somewhere for me to buy bread that would be great.
I actually also contacted Mcdonalds Singapore with regards to their food sentsitivity information (or lack of!). They have been great and have confirmed that the only products that do contain nuts are their curry sauce and their Mcflurry.
Josh would love to be able to eat some of the local food but I think the risk is too great. We actually avoid asian restaurants as a general rule here as well.
If you could you suggest a pizza place or Italian restaurant?
I cant begin to tell you how much I appreciate all the information you have provided me with. If you are ever in Melbourne I would be more than happy to help you with any information you require.
June 23rd, 2011 @ 2:41 pm
Hi! It’s ironic that fast food restaurants cater so well to allergies! Carls Junior is another one, CJ has been fine with their chicken strips, but always worth double checking with each branch (we have been to the one at The Nex shopping mall, Serangoon Gardens).
I have just got in contact with our favourite pizza place, Peperoni Pizaria, 6 Greenwood Avenue, Hillcrest Park, just off Dunearn Road (I must stress here, we have yet to go there with CJ). They do the best pizzas here, the restaurant is great, lovely atmosphere and fun! I have just called them, and they have said that if you call with notice (at least one hour – I would call the day before to be sure though!), they will make sure to cater to Josh’s nut allergy. They do have nuts in the restaurant but they have said they will make sure that the ingredients for Josh’s pizza are kept separate. Please call them for more information on +65 6465 6556. I spoke to the manager and he was very helpful.
One of the nicest Italian restaurants I have been to here is called Valentino’s it is run by an Italian family, the food is authentic, it can be expensive though. They are closed until the 24th June, so I have not been able to contact them, but their number is +65 6462 0555, email ristvale@singnet.com.sg, address 11 Jalan Bingka (just off Rifle Range Road). There are however quite a few Italian restaurants, if you know which part of Singapore you are likely to eat in let me know, and I’ll have a look for you.
I’ve not seen any freedomfood products here, but the Sweet William is stocked at the Cold Storage Speciality stores. In terms of bread, I have not found a fresh baker, we buy the heavily processed but okay tasting Gardenia Bread, available island-wide from any store! CJ does not have a walnut allergy, although they do make a walnut banana bread, I’ve just called to see if they make the bread on a separate line or if there is a chance of cross contamination. Someone from their production department is suppose to call me back today! Will let you know when I do. The freshly baked bread here, I have given a miss, as I usually see nut products around ie on other products.
In terms of local food, we have also given that a miss for CJ, as you put it, the risk is not worth it.
My goodness, the walnut challenge sounds horrid. I hope Josh is all recovered now.
But to be honest, it might be best to bring over the bread that you know and trust and freeze it? My Mum brought over breadcrumbs once for the Christmas turkey stuffing with no problems….
Hope you have a great trip! If you need any more information, please let me know! We are hoping to visit Australia next year, so I might well be writing to you!!
Take care,
Vicky
July 1st, 2011 @ 12:21 pm
Hi Vicky,
Many thanks again for your fabulous information.
Please do send me an email if your heading to Oz and I would be more than happy to help in anyway possible.
You probably already know this but since I have been doing my research about Singapore I found this about a change to food labeling laws over there. Should make life much easier.
http://www.eas.eu/Press_release/79
Will let you know I go after our trip.
Kind Regards
July 5th, 2011 @ 9:16 am
You are welcome! By chance I was actually working on the AVA food labeling amendment article when I got your email! I’ve just put the post up, there are still a few issues with the food labeling, but it is certainly a jump in the right direction! Have a fab time in Singapore, Vicky