Childhood Allergies
An overview including treatment modalities
by paul stallone, Nmd
M
ost parents are familiar with
control the changes in weather and
the typical symptoms of child-
school environment, you can help.
hood allergies – the sneezing,
Don’t forget that your beloved fam-
runny nose, swelling in the throat,
ily pet and home environment can
tummy cramps, and diarrhea. Did you
play their part in causing your child to
also know that childhood allergies
suffer. You can help your child by cre-
have been found to cause such larger
ating a non-smoking home environ-
issues of asthma, eczema, anaphylaxis,
ment, and follow cleaning measures
and have been linked as an underlying
to help keep household mites, and
cause of ADD/ADHD?
dust contained.
The experience of being a new
When you meet with your doctor,
parent can be daunting, so it is impor-
be sure to describe the reactions, as
tant to be advised allergies often appear
well as any observable allergens, as
first in the infant and childhood stages
these two bits of information are vital in
of life. Take relief in knowing that your
determining a more specific diagnosis.
child is suffering from a very usual
medical disorder. In fact, allergies are
Testing
most often the first syndrome children
Children from infancy on can be
suffer from, and although not avertable,
tested for allergies. Testing is not
they are diagnosable and treatable from
necessary, but can help diagnose and
infancy. You will find information and
aid parents in awareness. The com-
treatment options that will make your
mon test is the skin prick test. This test
child’s allergies (and even your own)
exposes your child to several common
primarily unproblematic.
and wasp stings that are frequent in
childhood. These reactions are marked causes of allergies by a prick on the
with swelling, redness, and overall skin surface. You then observe for a
What is an Allergy?
irritation at the site of the sting. Insect reaction. A more thorough style of the
Allergies are an abnormal response of
venoms can lead to anaphylaxis, skin prick test is the intradermal skin
the immune system, and that response
which closes your child’s airway, can test, which exposes the allergen under
creates those nasty allergic reactions.
cause him or her to pass out, and is your child’s skin, garnering more spe-
Your child’s immune system is exag-
life-threatening. cific results.
gerating in an irregular way to matter
Some children are allergic to Another form of testing is Immu-
that in a normal functioning immune
certain types of medications, primarily noCAP allergy blood test, a choice that
system would not be harmful or life
antibiotics. The majority of medicine does not provide immediate results
threatening. These irregularities are
allergies are grouped with penicillin, and can cost a bit more than skin tests.
common, but they do need to be
sulfonamides, ibuprofen, aspirins, You can also perform a food challenge
treated. It is important to find a doctor
dyes used in IV contrasting, general test, as directed by your doctor, to
you trust, with treatments that offer
anesthesia, and local anesthetics determine food allergies. This requires
relief if you feel your child may suffer
such as lidocaine or novacaine. As a close supervision, and should be com-
from allergies.
general rule with medication aller- pleted over a period of time.
gies, often times your child will not Keep in mind the trickiness of
Types of Allergies display symptoms of an allergy on the
testing your child for allergies. Despite
The common allergies most are aware first time they are administered the
your best efforts, you may not be able
of are food related. Key food allergies medicine. Pay attention to listed side
to completely identify every possible
stem from ingesting cow’s milk, eggs, effects. You will notice the difference
allergen or find conclusive results.
wheat, soybeans, fish, shellfish, tree in their reactions from a listed drug
nuts, peanuts, chocolate, certain food “side effect” and an allergy symptom. Modalities of Treatment
additives, citrus, and corn. Environmental allergies are com- You have several options for your
Your child could react to different mon in Arizona in part to our dry air child’s allergy treatments, including
types of insect venoms, like the bee and pollution. Although impossible to homeopathic treatments, supplements,
36 Phoenix
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