What is childhood allergy?
Allergy is defined as the excess sensitivity of the organism to the penetration of a specific substance, so that when it comes into contact with the organism, it reacts abnormally and the typical symptoms of allergy appear, such as respiratory or skin problems.
There are more and more cases of people suffering from allergies, with children being the most affected. Although it is true that allergies have a hereditary component, they are also associated with environmental factors, the early abandonment of breastfeeding or the early introduction of certain foods.
Symptoms of childhood allergies
The symptoms of childhood allergies are not different from the symptoms of common allergies. They may appear more or less intense, although in most children they are mild. Symptoms vary depending on the allergen causing the reaction and the area of the body affected, and can be divided into three groups: respiratory allergies, skin allergies and food allergies.
Respiratory allergies are caused by substances to which allergy sufferers are sensitive. Some would be pollen, dust mites, mold or pet hair. The most common allergies are allergic rhinitis, asthma or urticaria. And these produce symptoms such as
- Runny nose
- Tearing and/or itchy eyes
- Nasal congestion and sneezing
- Breathing difficulties
Skin allergies create skin irritation, some causes being heat or immune system disorders. Some types of skin allergies are:
- Dermatitis: this is the type of allergy that occurs when the allergen comes in direct contact with the skin. Of particular note is atopic dermatitis, a disease that usually appears in childhood and is due to immune dysfunction in the layers of the skin.
- Urticaria: this is the inflammation that occurs in the skin following the release of histamine.
- Angiodema: this is an inflammation that occurs in the deep layers of the skin.
Finally, food allergies affect a large number of patients, and in fact it is estimated that one in thirteen children suffers from one, increasing the percentage in adults to two in ten.
A specialist should be consulted if a child is thought to be suffering from an allergy.
What are the causes of childhood allergies?
In a large proportion of those affected, allergies manifest themselves for the first time during childhood, being the first place in chronic childhood diseases. All children can be allergic, but those with a family history are more prone.
Other causes may be certain environmental factors, early abandonment of breastfeeding or early introduction of certain types of foods.
Can they be prevented?
As a general rule, there is no specific way to prevent an allergic reaction, but it is best to avoid contact with allergens that cause allergic reactions. Some guidelines can be followed to avoid the appearance of allergic symptoms such as washing clothes and sheets with hot water to reduce mites, maintaining proper hygiene in the home, avoiding direct contact with animals and eliminating objects that usually contain a large number of mites such as curtains, carpets and sheets, among others.
What is the treatment?
Four guidelines are followed to treat allergic diseases:
- Avoid or minimize exposure to allergens.
- Use appropriate medications prescribed by the specialist.
- Evaluate the possibility of using allergen-involved vaccines.
- Educate and teach the patient, as well as the people who surround and care for the patient.
In turn, there are a number of recommendations to reduce the patient’s exposure to allergens.
- Wash clothes and bed linen in hot water.
- Maintain hygiene in the home
- Keep pets away from the child’s room.
- Eliminate objects that may contain mites such as curtains, carpets, sheets, etc.
Medications for children’s allergy
The specialist who treats the case of each particular child may consider that the treatment may include the administration of drugs to reduce the symptoms and fight the disease. It will always be under medical prescription and analyzing each case according to the situation of the affected child.
Which specialist treats it?
The specialists who will be in charge of the diagnosis and subsequent treatment of a case of childhood allergy will be the experts in Pediatrics and Allergology.