Childhood Allergies
Allergic reactions in children and infants are very much like any other allergy that you may find. Allergy occurs when the body is introduced to a foreign substance, and then recognizes the substance as dangerous and a health risk. The immune system then causes a series of reactions to occur in order to protect the body against infection and disease. Unfortunately for the individuals who suffer from these allergies, most of the substances that commonly cause allergic reactions are actually quite harmless, and pose no serious health risk on their own.
Children inherit their allergies from their parents. If both parents have allergies, the child is much more likely to develop an allergy. If one parent has allergies, the child poses a one in four chance of having some sort of allergy. Also, depending where the child lives, certain allergies are more common in certain parts of the world. This is due to exposure to the substance, and general sensitivity to different substances.
Keep in mind, that allergies that affect young children often are not present in the same child when they reach adulthood. As the child builds tolerance to the problem substance, the effects of the allergy may subside or even disappear altogether. While this is good news, it does not mean that every allergy a child has will disappear. It is highly dependent on the allergy and the child’s environment.
Food allergies in children can manifest themselves in different ways. Many children only exhibit the “oral allergy syndrome”, in which the symptoms are generally very mild and are not life threatening. However, certain precautions should still be taken because more dangerous reactions can occur as well. One of the more severe reactions many children have with food allergies (as well as other types of allergies), is anaphylaxis. Anaphylaxis is a very dangerous condition that can affect multiple organs within the body, and can even result in death. In the most extreme cases, the individual may go into anaphylactic shock. Other symptoms of childhood allergies may include rash, cramping, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.
Season allergies in children exhibit themselves much like they do in adults. Your child may experience nasal congestion and runny nose, itchy nose, swollen facial features, cough, and shortness of breath.
It is important to take your child straight to a doctor if you feel they may be exhibiting symptoms of any kind of allergy. Allergies are especially dangerous in children, and doctors need to run the proper tests to diagnose the allergy and prescribe the proper medication.
Related posts:
- How To Identity The Most Common Allergies In Children You might have heard that many people around say...
- What Are Children Allergies? Research shows that every 2 in 5 children suffer from...
- Seasonal Allergies: Causes, Symptoms and Treatment A change in seasons is a welcome relief from monotonous...
- Techniques of Controlling Your Baby’s Food Allergy So many people these days have allergies from either specific...
Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.