Symptoms and treatment of allergies in children. Types of allergies
Allergy is an inadequate reaction of the body to any stimulus, which can be both external and internal. The symptoms and treatment of allergies in children are the domain of doctors, but parents should also know the main features of this condition.
Types of allergies in children
There is a list of allergies that are most often diagnosed in childhood. All of them have some differences, so they are classified by species:
- Food allergy in children is the most common. Absolutely any food product can cause an inadequate reaction of the body, especially if it contains dyes, preservatives, flavorings and stabilizers. An allergy to dairy products is often identified, a similar reaction may appear to fish and fruits, some vegetables and egg white.
- Allergy to animals is the second most common type. A child may develop an allergy to cats, or rather to the waste products of these animals. Surprisingly, it is absolutely not necessary for the child to be in direct contact with the cat - it is enough to be in the same room with the animal. Animal saliva is a very strong allergen, so allergies to dogs, which leave it almost everywhere, also belong to the common types of allergies in children.
- Allergy to plant pollen is often diagnosed, but "prefers" children aged 8 years and older. The group of plants that are the cause of the development of the condition that we are considering allows you to determine the period of the appearance of allergy symptoms - for example, it can be April-May (trees bloom), June-July (meadow grasses bloom), August-September (grasses begin to bloom weeds).
- Cold allergy. Many parents notice the appearance of a rash and redness on the child's skin immediately after a sudden drop in air temperature (exposure to frost). In this connection, the question arises, can a child be allergic to cold? Doctors believe that such a reaction to cold cannot be considered a classic allergy - the signs of an inadequate reaction disappear on their own and in a fairly short period of time.
In addition, quite frequent types of allergies in children include an inadequate reaction to some medicines, house dust and insect bites.
Manifestations of allergies in children
It is impossible to single out clear, specific signs of the condition under consideration, because what is the irritant in each specific case will also depend on how the allergy manifests itself in children. At an early age, there may be no symptoms at all, parents just need to carefully monitor their baby. For example, after the introduction of a new product into the diet, it is necessary to note not only changes in the skin, but also the nature of defecation - its disorder is characteristic of protein allergy.
Skin manifestations of allergies are considered the most common - they can appear both after eating a food product that is an allergen and during contact with animals. An allergic reaction on the skin of a child, as a rule, is a rash of pink or red color, which merges into wide spots. Blisters with a yellowish liquid inside may also appear, which will be accompanied by itching.
Often, the condition under consideration turns out to be problems in the work of the respiratory system - for example, rhinitis of a chronic nature may develop. Therefore, doctors warn: parents should seek qualified medical help if the child's rhinitis does not go away for 10 days or more, especially in the absence of other signs of a cold.
If the allergy on the child's face is not dangerous, and rhinitis simply makes breathing difficult, then anaphylactic shock is a dangerous condition that requires emergency care. In addition, the dangerous manifestations of the disease under consideration include allergic asthma, bronchitis and Quincke's edema.
You can familiarize yourself with all the symptoms of allergies in childhood on the pages of our site Dobrobut.com, which will help you quickly find your way and provide competent help to your child.
How to treat allergies in a child
Most often, the only effective method of treatment is to remove the allergen from the child's life - for example, you need to remove a cat or dog from the house, exclude some product from the diet. But how to treat allergies in a child should be decided by an allergist who will conduct the necessary examination, identify the irritant and select safe and effective medications. As a rule, the general principles of allergy treatment in children are reduced to the following:
- if there is an allergy to spots in the child, which are accompanied by itching and peeling, then local antihistamines will be prescribed. Preference is given to non-hormonal medications;
- systemic drugs with an antihistamine effect are prescribed only in the case of a severe course of the disease that we are considering. Allergy tablets and capsules are prescribed for children only by a doctor, as they can also trigger allergies;
- a diet must be prescribed in case of allergies in a child - potentially "dangerous" products are limited, but the diet is structured as a complete and varied one;
- it is recommended to use means from the "folk medicine" category, but only in certain cases - for example, if an allergy is manifested by a skin rash, then decoctions of chamomile will help to reduce the sensitivity of the skin and relieve the baby from itching, which should be used for hygienic procedures .
Please note: an allergy in a baby does not involve the use of drugs for treatment, since the baby's body is not yet adapted to the surrounding world, and an extra "hit" on the internal organs can only aggravate the situation.
Allergies in children are quite serious disturbances in the functioning of the body, which, however, can be quickly normalized and stabilized. For this, you only need to contact specialists who will help give the baby a healthy future.
Related services:
Pediatrician consultation