Understanding Allergies In Children

One of the toughest and most stressful times in a parent’s life can be when their child develops an allergy. The source of allergies is not always apparent, and the child can be put through a battery of tests by their doctor so that the source can be determined. By understanding what can cause an allergy to develop, you may have an easier time dealing with them if your child ever develops allergy symptoms.

The Role of Genetics in Allergies

The root cause of any allergy can have a lot of factors in its development. If one or both of the parents have had allergies in their life, even if they outgrew them, their child could very easily develop the same allergy. Genetic mutations that can cause an immune system to react slowly or abnormally can still be inherited by the child, even if their parents never had any. If it exists somewhere along the family tree, any child born can develop similar traits.

Food & Allergies

Another deciding factor in developing allergies is the environment. Even as early on as a developing fetus, your child can develop food allergies in the womb, if their immune system is genetically incapable of digesting the food in question. By exposing the baby to highly allergenic foods through the mother’s digestion, like peanuts and milk, there is a good chance that the child may later have allergy symptoms later on or sometimes, an intolerance to that food.

Later on, when it is time to introduce solid foods to your infant, it may be a good idea to use single-ingredient foods, first, especially if your child has been prone to rashes or other allergy symptoms already. By introducing single-ingredient foods instead of those containing multiple ingredients, if your child has an allergic reaction, it makes identifying and eliminating the root cause a whole lot easier to do.

Pets & Allergies

Exposing your child to household pets can also influence the development of allergies, but it has been shown that having multiple pets in the house actually can protect against the development of any pet allergy. The thinking behind this is that multiple exposures to the dander of different breeds during early childhood will actually desensitize your child against one of the most common allergy triggers that can plague children. This effect can also stave off your child ever developing asthma later on, because pet dander is one of the most common triggers.

Common Allergy Symptoms

If your child does develop allergies later on, there are several common symptoms that will alert you to their condition. The child should be seen by their doctor immediately, if any of the following allergy symptoms present themselves:

• Hives: These appear as small patches of tiny, red, itchy, raised bumps on the skin. These are the first sign that the immune system is working overtime to combat an allergic reaction.

• Vomiting: This is especially prevalent in the case of food allergies. The body cannot tolerate a particular food, or an ingredient included in the processing of food, and its first reaction is to expel it as quickly as possible. The first sign of food intolerance is nausea, followed by vomiting after repeated exposures.

• Breathing Difficulties: A common symptom of allergic reactions to some kind of airborne trigger, like dust, mold or pet dander, is to cause breathing difficulties. This symptom is common in cases of asthma, as well as seasonal allergies and any pollen allergy.

Allergy Treatment & Prevention

Standard treatment for any allergy is avoidance, followed by some form of anti-histamine or other drugs. The treatment initiated is always dependent upon what particular allergy your child has, and can only be determined by his pediatrician or family doctor.

Anything that you can do to alter the environment around your child will go a long way in preventing any allergy symptoms from occurring. HEPA filters will take care of any mold and dust in the air, and should always be used in any home that includes children and pets. With hypoallergenic bedding, clothing, decorating and carpet materials and careful planning, you can allergy-proof your entire home in no time.

Pediatric Partners is dedicated to making your child as comfortable and well as can be. Contact them today for an immediate appointment for treating your child’s allergies.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Juanita_Swindell
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This entry was posted on Wednesday, October 20th, 2010 at 8:16 am and is filed under Allergies. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

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