Original article by Sydney Lupkin | ABC News Blogs – Wed, May 8, 2013 4:22 PM EDT. Reposted for content related to the allergy and anaphylaxis community for Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month. To view the original article, click here.

Could Sucking Your Baby’s Pacifier Cut Allergy Risk?

We’ve all seen it. A pacifier tumbles out of a crying baby’s mouth and hits the floor with a wet thump.

Maybe it bounces once or twice.

Some parents throw it right in the trash. Others boil it. Some just give it a rinse in the sink.

It is hard to explain to those who don’t know what it is like to be in pain or feel sick on the inside and look perfectly fine on the outside. Wearing a medical ID can help spread awareness of invisible illnesses like Crohn’s Disease, PTSD, Anxiety, Bipolar, Depression, Diabetes, Lupus, Fibromyalgia, MS, ME, M.D., Arthritis, Cancer, Heart Disease, Epilepsy, Severe Allergies, Dementia, Alzheimer’s and more!

• Nearly 1 in 2 Americans (133 million) has a chronic condition
  Chronic Care in America: A 21st Century Challenge, a study of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation & Partnership for Solutions: Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (September 2004 Update). “Chronic Conditions: Making the Case for Ongoing Care”.

In honor of May’s Food Allergy Awareness initiatives, Allergic Living has created a poster with the critical and life-saving steps to take during a food allergy emergency.

Click the image below to download the poster! Don’t forget to share with friends, schools, workplaces and family members. Education is the best way to spread awareness.

In an emergency, wearing a medical ID bracelet or necklace can mean the difference in getting the appropriate care needed. If you have a severe allergy, be smart, wear a medical ID.

Stop Diabetes® Medical ID Bracelet to Raise Money for Diabetes Research 

American Medical ID, the leading producer of medical alert jewelry in the United States, has announced a collaboration with the American Diabetes Association for the Stop Diabetes® awareness campaign. American Medical ID will be the vendor for the official Stop Diabetes® Medical ID bracelet with a portion of the proceeds from every sale benefiting diabetes research and programs to help those affected by diabetes.

The American Diabetes Association recommends that many people with diabetes should have a medical ID with them at all times.

Are you hearing more about diabetes in the news and online this month? This is American Diabetes Month® when the American Diabetes Association joins with concerned groups around the nation to raise awareness of this ever-growing disease.

Sharing a similar mission, Dr. Anuj Bhargava, MD, MBA, CDE, FACP, FACE is working to improve the health and lives of patients with diabetes through research and technology. Dr. Bhargava is President and founder of the Iowa Diabetes and Endocrinology Research Center (IDERC) and is also founder of My Diabetes Home, a company dedicated to simplifying diabetes worldwide online.

Hemophilia is a group of hereditary genetic disorders that impair the body’s ability to control blood clotting or coagulation, which is used to stop bleeding when a blood vessel is broken.

Symptoms vary with severity. In general symptoms are internal or external bleeding episodes. Patients with more severe hemophilia suffer more severe and more frequent bleeding episodes, while patients with mild hemophilia usually suffer more minor symptoms except after surgery or serious trauma. Moderate hemophiliacs have variable symptoms which manifest along a spectrum between severe and mild forms.

Each year, about 10,000 seniors die from injuries sustained in a fall. Additionally, one in three Americans over age 65 years experiences a fall each year. As an individual ages, the body experiences changes in vision, balance, bone density and muscle mass. In addition, older adults are more likely to take prescription medication, which can cause side effects such as blurred vision or loss of balance.

One-third of falls in older adults are a result of tripping over hazards in the home. Safety measures to prevent falls include:

Hallways and Walkways:

The precise conditions of a medical emergency cannot be predicted, but ensuring that medical providers have accurate information can be absolutely crucial. Registering with an online medical registry such as with American Medical ID can prevent potentially life-threatening decisions and enable speedy treatment.
Drug interactions can be fatal, especially in an emergency situation where other factors may already pose a risk to the patient. An individual in a crisis situation might be unable to self-report drugs and treatment due to unconsciousness or distress. Medical ID jewelry can help pinpoint patients registered with significant medical conditions or allergies to certain medications. For example, an online registry can inform health care providers that a patient has a pacemaker or a particular illness, such as diabetes.

Where are you most likely to pick up the cold, flu or something more serious, like meningitis? At the office. Highly contagious viruses and infections like these are passed around by bacteria that have been left behind by a sick person or someone who doesn’t yet realize that he is getting sick. From investing in a medical ID bracelet to avoiding certain office areas, you can take steps to stay healthy at work.

Keep your hands clean

Bacteria left on common areas in the office can live through the entire day and infect everyone who comes in contact. Here are some areas often ripe with germs: