Suzanne
Berman, M.D.
What
are symptoms of allergies in children?
Allergies can show up many ways in children:
- a chronic runny nose
- a chronic stuffy/congested nose
- a cough that won't go away
- red, puffy eyes with dark circles underneath
Allergies
can also be manifested as atopic
dermatitis (sensitive skin) and asthma
(sensitive lungs.) Some children are unfortunate enough to have all
three!
Although
they may be worse in some seasons and better in other seasons,
allergies are a chronic problem. This means they may last
years, even one's whole life.
What
causes allergies?
The body's immune system is trained to tell the difference
between bad germs (like bacteria, viruses, and parasites) and
harmless things (like fruits, cloth, and plastic.) The body gears
up to fight infections when it is exposed to harmful germs, but
is supposed to ignore harmless exposures.
Sometimes,
though, the body is too sensitive and overreacts to harmless
material. These allergy-provoking items (called allergens)
differ from child to child, but the most common are:
- Dust
- Fur and feathers
- Cigarette smoke
- Pollen
- Molds
Should
we test my child for allergies?
Generally, environmental allergies aren't severe enough to
warrant testing. We do recommend pinprick testing (at an allergist's office) or
blood sample testing (performed in our office) for food allergies, chronic allergies which aren't
responding to medication, or any allergy which has
caused a severe reaction (wheezing or trouble breathing, for
example.)
What
allergy medications are safe for children?
Not all children with allergies require medications.
Sometimes the allergies are mild and brief, or can be controlled
adequately by making environmental changes. (See our information
page on reducing allergens in the
home.) Children with allergies severe enough to interfere
with their lives should probably get some medication.
For young children, medications are occasionally helpful.
Otherwise, the best policy is generally
to eliminate allergens from the
baby's environment.
In
older children, there are several medications that work quite
well:
- Nose sprays. Best for children with lots of congestion
and nasal drainage. These help shrink swollen, boggy
nasal tissue and dry up chronic drainage. There are both
over-the-counter products (like Nasalcrom) and
prescription products (like Flonase and Rhinocort.) We
can recommend one specifically for your child.
- Antihistamines. These help block the over-reaction
of the immune system and help nasal drainage, a scratchy
throat, and cough. Over-the-counter
antihistamines like Benadryl are inexpensive, but are sometimes sedating and make it
difficult to stay awake in school. Newer
antihistamines (like Claritin, which is over-the-counter, and Zyrtec, which is by prescription) are not
sedating and are safe down to 6 months of age.
- Eye drops. Prescription allergy eye drops (like
Patanol) work great for red, itchy, irritated eyes.
Non-prescription eye drops like Visine do not help
allergies: in fact, they can make itching worse.
- Leukotriene antagonists. Singulair (montelukast) is a medication originally
designed for asthma patients which also helps with allergies.
What
about allergy shots?
Allergy shots are designed to desensitize people to
allergens. Allergy shots are customized for each individual, depending on what
he or she is allergic to. They are painful and expensive, and sometimes don't work very
well for children. We recommend them when allergy
medications don't work, the allergen in question can't be avoided, or if the allergy is quite severe.