Most children suffer from childhood allergies picked up in the park, play school or while playing in the yard with other children. Children are especially prone to such allergies because they are too young to identify the risks of not washing their hands after wiping their noses or playing in the dirt or before eating with their hands. They also tend to taste everything in their curiosity about the world around them and this increases the risk of allergies and infections. It is the duty of those caring for these children to ensure that they do not put dirty stuff in their mouths and to help them follow proper hygiene.
The type of allergy that afflicts children most often is nasal allergies as they are more contagious than most other allergens and because children are more vulnerable to them as a result. Though traditionally doctors would not diagnose allergies in children until the ages of four or five, recent research has proved that allergies can occur in children as young as two years old.
Symptoms of Nasal Allergies
Common symptoms include itchiness in and around the nasal area, runny nose, chest congestion, exhaustion, frequent sneezing, and consistent coughing and breathing through the mouth accompanied by red and watery eyes. If such symptoms persist for weeks, then it is pretty certain that the child is suffering from nasal allergies. Such allergies can, if left unaddressed, lead to further complications like an affected sinus and ear infections. In extreme cases, these frequent attacks can result in even loss of hearing or lead to diseases like asthma or eczema.
The Allergens Involved (The Main Causes)
Most common allergens are dust, strong odors, certain types of foods, pet dander, mold and even clothes like woolen sweaters where the loose fibers can become airborne and cause a nasal irritation. Even strong smelling soaps and shampoos and other cleaning products can trigger allergies. Generally people, especially infants with allergies are also prone to skin problems as a result of allergic reaction to the different chemicals they come in touch with in their everyday lives. Another factor might be that most allergies are hereditary; if either one of the parents have an allergy, then there is a likelihood of the child also developing the same allergy. And though the severity of the allergy may vary, the allergy itself cannot be escaped, except in the case of certain food allergies that they can grow out of.
Diagnosing Nasal Allergies
The best way to determine the possible allergens is to do the required blood tests for determining allergens, but such tests have been proved effective only from the age of three or higher. In cases of infants under three years of age the only way to determine the possible allergens is to study the causes, duration, frequency and whether the attacks are seasonal or weather-related and then make an informed decision. A regular and methodical record of the child’s allergy attack patterns can help your child’s physician in determining the allergens.
Preventing Nasal Allergies
Some common sense applied to your everyday lives might alleviate the child’s allergies. For instance using natural cotton clothes and bed linens might do away with fiber related allergies. Cutting down on outside food can reduce the chance of food allergies brought on by preservatives and chemicals. Keeping your house free of pets and dust mites will certainly get rid of the related allergens. Using damp mops to clean floors rather than a broom, clearing away carpets and heavy drapes that act as dust-collectors, getting rid of stuffed animals, etc can greatly reduce the incidences of allergy attacks in young children.
Usually nasal allergies are additive in nature; just one factor might not bring out the symptoms, whereas a combination of factors might. Seasonal changes, weather changes and allergens might all play an interactive role in your child’s health and so vigilance is the answer to tackling a child’s allergies. But also you should check yourself from over-protecting your child from the world around him as that might adversely affect his learning ability and his immunity at a later date. The only way to help your child suffering from nasal allergies is to be an aware, informed and vigilant parent.
