What are Allergies?

Allergy to children is very common. They are usually the ones who suffer from sensitivity to a lot of allergens in the environment. Aside from this, family history is said to be a major cause of allergies to children that they bring this with them until adulthood. Studies show that allergies may be passed on from parents to their children. When one parent has allergies, chances are that the child is going to be allergic, too. Although it also appears that even having parents with no allergy history still poses a risk for the child to develop an allergy. This is because there are other causes of allergies.

By definition, the hypersensitivity to certain allergens is called an “allergy”. An allergic person’s immune system tends to react to usually harmless substances in his surroundings when most people do not. The most common allergens are pollen, animal dander, mold or dust mite excretions. When one of these allergens is present in a place that a person is at, he experiences allergic reactions. Allergic reactions may be by sneezing, coughing, irritation of nose and itching and redness of the eyes.

Families with growing children should avoid living in environment where the children will be exposed to allergens. This is the first step to prevent the children from having allergies. There could be more harmful effects that allergies may bring to young children, thus being extra cautious already plays an important part in preventing allergies.

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Symptoms and Types of Allergies

Allergy symptoms may be classified into three categories namely: mild, moderate or severe. Mild symptom includes having rashes, sneezing, itching and redness of the eyes and congestion problems. A moderate symptom is having difficulty in breathing or having asthma symptoms like wheezing and coughing while severe symptom causes serious danger to the person and the symptoms may include dizziness, abdominal pain, vomiting and diarrhea.

• Allergic rhinitis or hay fever is the allergic response, predominantly in the eyes and nose, to pollen, dust, animal dander or other microscopic substances
• Food allergies or food intolerances which cause abdominal pain, vomiting or bloating
• Hives are caused by allergies to food and medications. One may experience swelling of the skin often itchy and raised
• Pet allergy or allergy to the flakes of the pet’s skin (or dander) or its saliva
• Contact dermatitis caused by direct contact with an allergy-causing substance such as plants (like poison ivy), detergents, soaps or other chemicals
• Insect stings or allergies like bees, wasps, hornets and fire ants among many others.
• Allergic conjunctivitis or the “pink eye” is the inflammation of the conjunctiva caused by allergens, bacteria or viruses

Knowing who among the family members have allergies is advisable so every one knows how he/she can help in times of emergency. Remember some symptoms of allergies pose health risks to a person who may have other existing diseases. During emergency cases, doctors turn to the patient’s family to check his/her health background. This way, doctors will know what medical aid appropriate for the patient.

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Pollen Allergy

Pollen count (or measure of how much pollen is present in the air) is in its highest during spring, summer and fall or when it’s warm, dry and breezy. People start to experience pollen allergy or seasonal allergic rhinitis during these times.

What is pollen allergy? When pollen is inhaled or when it reaches our throat, our body produces histamine and this result in pollen allergy. The histamine causes irritation, excessive mucus production and nasal passages to swell and leads to nasal congestion. The next time we are exposed to pollen (or allergen), we get allergic reactions.

Pollen comes from plants for reproduction. In order for a plant to reproduce, pollen is needed to be transferred form one plant to another of the same species with the aid of insects or by wind transport. Pollen is carried by wind over long distances and often times, a huge volume does not reach its expected destination rather, ends up reaching the human nose.

Some allergy causing pollens are produced by the following plants in the US:

Trees – birch tree, cypress, maple, cottonwood, acacia, pine trees, ash, elm, oak, hickory, pecan, mountain cedar, box elder

Grasses – Kentucky bluegrass, Bermuda grass, redtop grass, Johnson grass, sweet vernal grass, perennial eye, Italian rye, meadow fescue

Weeds - ragweed, redroot, lamb’s quarters, tumbleweed, cocklebur, yellow dock, English plantain, pigweed, scales, sagebrush

Pollen Allergy Symptoms

• Sneezing and coughing
• Itching of eyes, nose, throat
• Post nasal drip
• Conjunctivitis
• Upward rubbing of nose usually by a child


Pollen Allergy Treatments

• Medication with antihistamine, bronchodilators, corticosteroids, nasal decongestants
• Immunotherapy
• Stay indoors or wear face masks
• Use air conditioners and air filters
• Avoid irritants like insect sprays, dust air pollution that may trigger the symptoms of pollen allergy

Allergy Treatments

1. Avoid allergens by maintaining a dust free, clean house. So clean the house as frequently as possible to avoid allergies. Concentrate on areas or things where dust accumulates like carpet, curtains, blinds, bedroom pillows, bed sheets and clothes.

2. Use air conditioning, air filters or air dehumidifiers

3. Stay indoors during pollen season or when going out, wear masks as protection

Allergies may also be treated through medication, over-the-counter or prescriptions drugs like antihistamine, corticosteroids and others. Since most allergy symptoms affects the nose and eyes, decongestants are also prescribed as allergy treatments. Medication for asthma and respiratory problems resulting from allergies are also administered by a doctor.

For more advanced cases of allergies, allergy shot may also be considered which increases one’s tolerance to allergens. This is also called immunotherapy, or the desensitization or hyposensitization treatment in which the person is vaccinated with gradual doses of the allergen that may reduce the person’s hypersensitivity to this substance. As to the frequency of the injections, it varies based on the person’s medical needs.

Consulting with a doctor is still the most recommended action to take to treat an allergy.

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Pet Allergies

Unlike any other allergies, pet allergy is probably the most common cause of allergic reactions to children or adults. The earlier a child is exposed to house pets, the higher the chance of being allergic to it. This allergy stays with the child as he grows.

Some of us get allergic reactions when we get too close to a certain animal or even by being inside a room with it. This is called pet allergy wherein our body produces an allergy-causing antibody for a particular allergen (or animal protein) and from then on, our body will be sensitive to this allergen once exposed the next time around.

Common domestic house pets are dogs, cats, birds, guinea pigs, horses and mice. Some even own iguanas, monkeys and wild cats. This is allowed as long as the pet owners follow certain regulations in getting any exotic or extinct animals as pets. Parents take the initiative to have pets primarily for companionship a pet can give and because pets help teach the basic meaning of responsibility to children. A child learns to feed, bathe and play with his pet giving him the sense of responsibility that he needs to take care of his pet for it to live healthy.

So what causes pet allergy? The allergy usually comes from the pet’s sheds and this skin flakes (or dander) and not the hair like most of us thought of. The dander is airborne and may be present in the air for a certain period of time that’s why the risk of getting allergic reaction is likewise lengthened. A pet allergy may also be from the animal’s saliva and urine. An animal’s saliva may remain on the furniture, beddings, clothing and carpets.

There have been a few breeds of pets that may be less allergy causing. Having a short haired pet dog does not necessarily mean it produces less dander. We just have to ask an expert more about these breeds.

Some of the symptoms of having pet allergy include sneezing and coughing, nasal congestion, itchy and reddening of the eyes, facial pressure and pain, itchy nose, mouth or throat, itchy skin with some red patches, difficulty in breathing and asthmatic symptoms for the more serious cases.

When these pet allergy symptoms are already being experienced for a week or so, it is only proper to see your doctor immediately.

Treatment of Pet Allergy

1. Avoid allergy-causing animals
2. Take medications as advised by your doctor. Available drugs are antihistamines, corticosteroids or decongestants or asthma medications if needed
3. Immunotherapy
4. Saline sprays or nasal lavage

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