Managing Your Allergies While on a Business Trip

If you're suffering from an allergy, especially if it’s the life-threatening type, you may have gone to great lengths to ensure that your workplace is free from the allergens that could trigger a reaction. You may have also informed your co-workers about your condition and they have complied to your needs.

But when you’re on a business trip you may need to go over informing people again about your condition lest you fall victim to a life-threatening allergic reaction. Despite this, many people with severe allergies neglect to take precautions since they’ve been accustomed to having their needs met in their workplaces. But small things like making sure that the snacks you’ll eat at the conference in Chicago won’t have any prawns or peanuts in it are often overlooked by some people.

So in order to ensure that your business trip goes smoothly, always remind yourself that you need to inform the people you’ll be interacting with about your condition so that they can comply to your needs and avoid any mishaps while you’re delivering your presentation.

With regard to meetings

Business meetings often entail snacks or even lunches depending on the schedule of the event. Make sure that before you reach your destination you’ve spoken with the facilitator of the event and informed him/her about your condition. You are a valued individual in these events and it is your right that the people managing this business event comply to your needs as someone with severe allergies.

So feel free to let them know what kind of foods you’re allergic to and even what kind of materials can trigger an allergic reaction. You may be allergic to latex and some of the materials that the facilitators will use in your conference have some latex in it, which can trigger a reaction.

Fortunately, due to the rising population of people with allergies most hotels or multi-purpose venues are aware of the need to provide a safe haven for these kinds of individuals. So there will definitely be someone to provide you with allergy-free snacks and/or materials.

With regard to trainings

Your business trip might entail you to undergo further training as a marketing or sales manager and oftentimes these events would require you to listen to several lectures or even participate in some activities. As an individual who suffers from allergies you should never tell yourself that you’re worrying too much if you think something might trigger an allergic reaction during these events.

You’ll never know but maybe in one of your group activities your facilitator or group-mate might have something in his person that is an allergen for you. Make sure that the people managing the event are aware of your condition so that they can ensure on the day of the event no allergens will be present to cause you any distress.

With regard to plane travel

Flying with allergies can be distressing sometimes since you’ll be enclosed in a significantly tight space at a very high altitude with no way to escape if in case you come in contact with an allergen that could trigger an anaphylactic shock. Fortunately, airlines nowadays are implementing changes in order to ensure that all of their passengers will be safe from any allergen.

Most airlines before serve peanuts to passengers but since more and more people are becoming allergic to this food some airlines chose to make this snack an option. If you’re allergic to peanuts inform the airline of your choice and they will keep this food as far away from you as possible. An organization called FARE (Food Allergy Research & Education) has even started a campaign to implement several changes in the airline industry to accommodate the needs of people with allergies.

They are proposing a bill that will require airlines to provide epinephrine shots in every flight in case a passenger or two suffers a severe allergic reaction. The bill also states that the airline crew should be trained to detect if someone is suffering from an allergic reaction and be able to administer the epinephrine injection if needed.

The rise in number of individuals with severe allergies has prompted organizations and companies to be more accommodating to these individuals with regard to their needs. So rest easy and know that if you have an important business trip to go to somewhere in the United States you’ll be in good hands as long as you inform the people responsible about your condition. Make sure to do these at all times and all your business trips will proceed without a hitch or an itch.