Allergy in a child: everything parents need to know about diagnosis and treatment

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Why allergies can be easily confused with other diseases and what to do to make your child better.

Allergies are the body's defenses. When we are faced with a dangerous substance, the body tries to destroy it: this is how we protect ourselves from disease. But sometimes it happens that the body tries too hard and its attempts to drive away the invaders harm us. Therefore, various non-hazardous substances trigger an immune response and inflammatory reactions. This is Allergies.

The most dangerous and common allergens:

1. Plant pollen.
2. Dust mites.
3. Wool and skin of animals.
4. Food products.
5. Insect bites.
6. Medicines.
7. Latex.
8. Mold.
9. Household chemicals and cosmetics.
10. Dyes, preservatives and other food additives.

In young children, allergies are quite common, because the child's body is not yet able to properly process some proteins. Allergic dermatitis. Therefore, children are carefully introduced to complementary foods and not given some foods until a certain age. Over time, the child may stop responding to milk, soy, eggs. But some allergies last a lifetime.

Allergies can be inherited. If both parents suffer from allergies, then the child has a 60–70% chance of developing it.

How does allergy manifest in a child

Symptoms vary depending on the type of allergen and individual reactions. Here's how different organs and systems react to allergens:

1. Leather. With allergies, the skin turns red, itches and flakes. There are spots, a rash, sometimes swelling.
2. Eyes. They itch, redden, itch. The child is crying.
3. Respiratory system. Most often, there is an allergic rhinitis, nasal congestion, cough, it becomes difficult to breathe.
4. Stomach and intestines. Due to allergens, the stomach hurts, vomiting or diarrhea appears.

With allergies, the most dangerous is anaphylactic shock - a condition in which the tongue, neck or face swell, the voice becomes rough, and breathing difficulties appear. The person turns pale, is poorly oriented in space and may lose consciousness. In this case, you need to immediately call an ambulance.

How to distinguish allergies from other problems

Allergy is a diagnosis that is tempting to put on its own, because it seems simple and obvious. But you can't do that. Other diseases can be disguised as allergies: from lichen to asthma.

This is what an allergy looks like.

And so - one of the types of lichen

Allergy diagnostics begins with a detailed survey: the doctor must understand what possible allergens the child has encountered recently. The doctor will ask many questions that need to be answered honestly and in detail. Sometimes it is embarrassing to admit that they gave the child a harmful soda, but this fact cannot be hidden from the doctor (especially, believe me, the doctor did not see that).

After the interview, the doctor checks what allergens there is a reaction to. This is done in two main ways.

1. Skin tests

A scratch is made on the skin of the forearm, to which the allergen extract is applied. Through a scratch, the allergen enters the bloodstream, the reaction shows which substances are the cause of the symptoms. The result of such a test is noticeable after 20-30 minutes.

Sometimes, instead of scratches, injections or applications with a solution of an allergen extract are made. In order for the examination to be reliable, you cannot take medications for allergies for several days before it - they must leave the body.

Contraindications to skin tests:

1. Exacerbation of allergies.
2. Exacerbation of other chronic diseases.
3. Infections (that is, if a child has caught a virus, no samples are made).

These tests can be done at any age. Babies are tested for a small amount of allergens. And the results obtained can change as the child grows. So the samples should be redone when the child is at least five years old.

2. Blood test

For this examination, blood is taken, as for most other tests. The result will have to wait for several days, but a blood test is a way out when it is impossible to do allergy tests. For example, when an exacerbation has lasted.

The purpose of other examinations is to exclude diseases that pretend to be allergies. If breathing is difficult, asthma is suspected and lung function is tested, and if the nose is blocked, sinusitis (an infection of the sinuses) and x-rays are taken.

How to treat allergies in a child

The best and only way to get rid of allergies is to eliminate the allergen and contact with it. To do this, you need to think about what could cause the allergy: new food, clothes, flowering of a plant, cosmetics, or something else.

Sometimes it is not possible to immediately determine why an allergic reaction has appeared. In this case, they eliminate everything that can lead to it, at least theoretically:

1. There are only proven products to which there is definitely no reaction. Fish, citrus fruits, sweets are prohibited. For babies, the best nutrition is breast milk.
2. New foods should be tried gradually, one bite a day, so as not to provoke violent reactions.
3. Try not to use foods with dyes or other food additives.
4. Remove sources of dust: hide books in cabinets, throw away stuffed animals, and do not use carpets or heavy curtains.
5. Use only hypoallergenic cosmetics and household chemicals. And not only for children's things: treat everything in the house with safe products.
6. Buy your child's clothes made of linen and cotton, durable dyed or white. The same applies to bed linen.
7. Maintain the humidity in the room at about 50% - it is more convenient to do this with a humidifier.
8. Do not let your child come into contact with tobacco smoke.

But what about the drugs?

Antihistamines are used to treat allergies. Histamine is a special compound that is normally stored dormant inside cells. During an allergic reaction, histamine is released from the cells and triggers an inflammatory response. Medicines should prevent this: neutralize histamine and prevent it from leaving the store again.

Antihistamines do not eliminate the cause of the reaction - the allergen, but help to remove its symptoms and improve the quality of life.

There are many antihistamines available. Old ones created several decades ago have more side effects than new ones. For example, they cause drowsiness or dryness of the mucous membranes. For babies, drops have been invented that are more convenient to take than pills. There are also ointments that are used for skin allergy symptoms.

We do not specifically name the drugs, because they are sold freely and there is always a temptation to prescribe something for an allergy to a child, without understanding the intricacies. But the doctor should select a treatment regimen, especially for children.

Is there allergy prevention

To some extent, allergies can be prevented. Sometimes the violent reaction of children to food, wool or fabric is only due to the fact that children's organs are not working well enough. This is the norm, because the child must grow and develop gradually.

Allergies to many substances can go away on their own, as the liver and immunity begin to work at full strength. Sometimes they even say that children outgrow the disease. Therefore, the task of parents is to make sure that during the growth period, especially up to three years, the child encounters possible allergens as little as possible.

One of the best ways to avoid triggering allergies is by breastfeeding.

In second place is complementary foods, which are introduced on time, that is, at the age of six months (and not earlier, no matter what the grandmothers say).

Plus, all methods of treatment, except for taking pills, are also suitable for prevention: fewer allergens - more health.