How to recognize an allergy in a child? The symptoms of a child, such as constant sneezing, coughing and a runny nose, do not always indicate recurring infections. It could be an allergy. The causes of allergies in children can be really different. What should you pay attention to in order to help an allergic toddler in time? Find out when your child is most at risk of allergy and what can make them allergic most often.
Contents:
- Allergy in a child - what is it?
- Allergy in a child - causes
- Child allergy - when are children at risk of allergy?
- Allergy in a child - types of allergies
- Allergy in a child - when to see an allergist?
- Allergy in a child - what is the most common allergy?
Michałek was he althychild . When infections raged in kindergarten, he held up bravely. By the time. Once he was hit by a powerful bronchitis and then he was stillrunny nosechasing a cold. The little boy was coughing and sneezing constantly. To fight infection, he was stuffed with antibiotics and immune-boosting agents, but there was hardly any improvement. In the nervous hustle and bustle from doctor to doctor, my mother and the boy finally saw the allergist. This one diagnosed allergic rhinitis. The guinea pig was the culprit and not, as was supposed, pathogenic bacteria. After the pet was given to his cousin, the boy regained his form.
Allergy in a child - what is it?
The cause ofallergiesis the hypersensitivity of the immune system to various factors. When microbes or viruses enter a he althy organism, the immune system recognizes them as an enemy and begins to fight them.
In an allergy sufferer, the immune system recognizes the enemy not only in germs, but also in innocent substances, such as those contained in food. They are called allergens.
During the first contact with an allergen, such as pollen, the body begins to produce specific IgE antibodies that specialize in recognizing and destroying that particular enemy.
After its annihilation, a certain amount of antibodies remain in the blood permanently. They live attached to the surface of eosinophils (they are present in the blood serum) and mast cells (they are found in the connective tissue of the skin and mucous membranes).
When we first come into contact with an allergic agent, we usually do not feel any discomfort. But when it comesre-exposure to the allergen in question, an allergic reaction begins.
Allergens bind to IgE antibodies located on the surface of mast cells and eosinophils. Then a process begins that leads to the release of substances with pro-inflammatory properties from the cells, e.g. histamine and leukotrienes. The result is inflammation in the body, which is why allergies are referred to as inflammatory diseases.
In blood 70-80 percent small allergy sufferers have an increased level of IgE antibodies. This is referred to as an IgE-dependent allergy. However, it may happen that despite the symptoms of the disease, IgE antibodies are not found in the blood or are normal.
So, other factors must be responsible for irritation of the upper respiratory tract or skin. What exactly? It is not known. So it was called IgE-independent allergy. It suffers from 70-80 percent. adult allergy sufferers.
Allergy in a child - causes
The causes of allergies are complex and not fully understood, but there are factors that contribute to the disease.
The most important thing is genetic susceptibility. However, the child inherits not the disease, but atopy, i.e. a tendency to overproduce IgE antibodies as a result of contact with an allergen.
Over 80 percent allergies in children are atopic diseases: hay fever and year-round fever, allergic conjunctivitis, atopic dermatitis, bronchial asthma.
If one of the parents suffers from this type of disease, the risk that the toddler will be allergic is 30%.
If both parents are affected by different forms of allergy - the risk increases to 60%, when they have the same disease, e.g. hay fever, the risk reaches 80%.
But not every genetically burdened baby will be allergic in contact with an allergen. It may also be that the child becomes sick, although neither parent has allergies. Then the risk is 10%.
It's good to know that not every eczema or irritation of the upper respiratory tract is an atopic disease. It may be an episodic allergic reaction of the body to a cosmetic, drug or allergy to washing powder, which is irreversible if it is changed to another and does not require treatment.
Child allergy - when are children at risk of allergy?
Children who often develop upper respiratory tract infections are at risk of allergic diseases. Viruses damage the mucosa of the throat and nose, making it easier for allergens to penetrate the cells and increasing the likelihood of developing the disease.
Allergies can also be triggered by excessive hygiene and frequent use of antibiotics. There are billions of microorganisms in the natural environment. If they get throughinto the baby's body through the respiratory and digestive tract, the immune system learns to recognize and combat them.
When a child is brought up in sterile conditions or takes a lot of antibiotics, the body does not have to deal with bacteria on its own and uses its capabilities to combat non-threatening factors, e.g. with pollen.
Allergy in a child - types of allergies
- Food allergy (allergens penetrate the body through the digestive system) makes itself felt at the earliest. It affects 8-10 percent. kids. It appears already in infants, because substances in the mother's milk may sensitize. Most often, however, the first allergen is cow's milk protein. Abdominal pain, frequent colic, flatulence, diarrhea or constipation, sometimes vomiting, lack of appetite (sometimes only for certain products) are typical symptoms. Signs of the disease may be severe itching and drying of the skin, rash, headache, exudative otitis.
- Inhalation allergy (allergens penetrate the mucosa of the respiratory tract). Prolonged runny nose, breathing difficulties, loud breathing, paroxysmal cough should be disturbing. In a child over 6 months of age, such symptoms may indicate an allergy, especially when the child is he althy. Inhalation allergies are often similar to otitis, laryngitis, pharyngitis and bronchitis. In such a situation, children are unnecessarily administered antibiotics instead of anti-allergic or bronchodilator drugs. The later the treatment is started, the more turbulent the course of the disease can be. Early treatment reduces the risk of developing bronchial asthma.
- Atopic dermatitis is a chronic allergic disease that most often occurs in babies. First, their cheeks turn red and are covered with itchy lumps. Over time, the changes spread to the entire face, and also affect the elbows and areas under the knees. The skin becomes dry and rough. The rash is very itchy, so the baby is constantly scratching. The cause of the ailments may be an allergy to certain foods, house dust mites, cat hair. Strong emotions about going to kindergarten or playing games can exacerbate symptoms. With time, the disease calms down.
- Contact allergy (the result of skin contact with an allergen) is relatively rare in children. Most often, the perpetrators of the so-called contact eczema includes cosmetics, detergents, fabric dyes.
Different forms of allergy can occur simultaneously (eg food, atopic dermatitis and inhalation), other times they occur one after another. It may be that the child first suffers from a protein defect, for example, oratopic dermatitis and then has an inhalation allergy that will develop into bronchial asthma. This transition from one form of allergy to another is called an allergic march. You can stop it by treating the disease early and by eliminating allergenic factors from the child's environment.
Allergy in a child - when to see an allergist?
Take your baby to the doctor when two of the following factors occur:
- Respiratory system reactions: stuffy nose, runny nose, frequent colds and infections of the upper and lower respiratory tract and repeated inflammation of the larynx or ear, paroxysmal cough, shortness of breath.
- Gastrointestinal symptoms: vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, gas, colic, abdominal pain for no apparent reason.
- Skin reactions: excessive dryness and itching of the skin, red, scaly blemishes, hives, tiny spots or other itchy lesions.
- Mental problems: anxiety, apathy, crying for no apparent reason, excessive activity, unexplainable mood changes, concentration disorders, fatigue.
- Headaches, joint or muscle aches, dark circles under the eyes.
Allergy in a child - what is the most common allergy?
In children, allergies are most often caused by:
- plant pollen
- animal hair,
- insects
- mold and fungus spores
- house dust mites
- polluted air
- food: milk, eggs, wheat, fish, soybeans, peanuts, chocolate, raspberries, wild strawberries and citrus
- preservatives and flavorings in foods
But an allergen can be anything. Dry air, changes in temperature or climate, water in the lake. A child often reacts to several allergens at once, such as apple and grass pollen, birch pollen and legumes, dust and fish, feathers and egg yolks. This is called cross-reaction between allergens.
Worth knowingGlossary of allergy sufferers
- Allergen - a substance that may cause sensitization.
- Allergic reaction - reaction of the immune system to an environmental factor.
- Atopy - the hereditary tendency of the body to overproduce IgE antibodies as a result of contact with an allergen.
- Histamine - a substance that causes allergic symptoms. It is blocked with antihistamines (Clarityna, Zyrtec).
- All-year-round runny nose (allergic rhinitis) - caused by house dust mites, feathers, animal allergens. Nasal congestion, sneezing, runny discharge, scratchy throat, and lacrimation are all common symptoms.
- Hay fever - occurs seasonally, because it is caused by pollen. Symptoms as withyear-round Cathar. Conjunctivitis may occur, sometimes pollen asthma may occur.
- Desensitization - getting the body used to the allergen. An increasing dose of the allergen is injected under the skin.
- Skin tests - first a drop of allergen is applied to the skin of the forearm or back, then it is punctured. The appearance (after 20 minutes) of swelling, redness or other changes indicates allergy to the substance.
- Blood tests - high levels of IgE antibodies are indicative of atopy, but not what the child is allergic to. Only the determination of the concentration of the so-called Specific IgE.
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