Health & Fitness
Living With Allergies at Whitnall High School
Whitnall HIgh School has helped its students by taking out specific allergens at the school to make it safer for the students.
This year, the faculty at has changed its policies and procedures to allow for a safer atmosphere for the students with allergies.
When an allergy attack happens to a teenager or child, they can experience anaphylaxis, which is when the air ways start to swell and the student could lose consciousness.
At Whitnall High School, the administration has attempted to remove foods that contain any nuts out of the school’s lunch menu and have made it against the rules to eat in any of the classrooms, hallways or areas other than the lunchroom. Even the teachers have to abide by these rules.
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A senior with allergies at Whitnall High School, Stephanie Voelkel, says that the new school rules have “Significantly decreased the amount of reactions I have had this year. The best new rule was the no eating in class because it is scary to go into a classroom and not know if someone was eating nuts in your desk the hour before.”
There is no cure for allergies, and the best practice for nut allergies is to stay away from all nuts and nut products. Other allergens cause different reactions, so anyone with allergies should stay away from the allergen. Students with the allergies must read labels of all the foods that they eat. It is safest to avoid all kinds of nuts and read the labels because the processing of nuts in foods often causes cross-contamination. The teachers have been very accepting of the new rules and agree that they are best for the students’ health.
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With only a few minor incidences Stephanie has not had any major attacks at the school this year. “All the teachers are very supportive of my allergy and they allow me to go home for lunch and arrange my schedule to stay away from the lunch room where I could have a severe reaction”, she says.
The Whitnall school district is proud to say that it cares about its students and will do anything to protect them.
Editor's note: As part of a partnership with Whitnall High School, Greenfield Patch will be posting blogs and announcements written by WHS students through the end of the school year. All blogs and announcements have been approved by the student's teacher.
