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Spring Into Allergy Season           ★★★
Spring Into Allergy Season
Author:163ED   UpdateTime:2010-10-2 13:40:11

What are the common triggers that will bring on allergic reactions?
 
For kids who have allergies, sometimes everyday objects can be the trigger. For example, their favorite pet -- a dog or cat -- could shed dander (tiny pieces of skin), and that may trigger a flare-up. Sometimes the beds can be the trigger, including sheets, mattresses and box springs, because that's where dust mites live. So it's not that you're allergic to the bed, it's more the dust mites that are there.

There are also triggers that present themselves once kids are in [allergy] season, so for example with pollen season, things like cigarette smoke or perfumes can be triggers. Sometimes the weather -- the wind and rain -- can affect the amount of pollen in the air, and thus trigger an allergy flare-up in someone.

What should a parent do if they suspect their child has seasonal allergies?
 
The best thing to do is try and keep a little diary answering the questions, "when are the symptoms triggered and by what?" Because when you see your doctor, they will want to know if there is a pattern, and will ask you things like, "is it worse during the daytime or nighttime, or is it seasonal?" Those answers can give a lot of information [to a doctor].

Seeing your health care provider is a smart thing to do ... they can then make a determination if you should see an allergist. An allergist can look at the symptoms, do a physical exam and then maybe even do skin testing. Skin testing is when they put small amounts of allergens on the skin, or just below it, and look for a reaction to try to detect what you're allergic to. Once you have testing and can determine what you're allergic to, then you know and can avoid some triggers.

What could happen if allergies go untreated? Is there a real danger there?
 
In kids specifically, we see a lot of problems that are related to the congestion [caused by allergies]. Fatigue, especially during the daytime, poor concentration in school, learning problems and other difficulty in school can all be related to nasal congestion, because kids won't be sleeping as well at night. And then during the daytime, they're blowing their nose a lot and experiencing other symptoms. It can lead to peer pressure and social tension ... you know, they may not want to go out and play because they know if they do they'll start sneezing, and that can lead to some shyness.

Because children's bones and teeth are still developing, chronic mouth breathing [due to allergy-causing congestion] can cause teeth to come in at an improper angle. I get a lot of referrals from orthodontists who see kids for braces and figure out that the kid is a mouth breather. Until they fix that, the orthodontist knows that the braces are going to be on longer.

Kids who have allergies are more likely to have ear infections and more sinus infections. Also, if they have asthma, uncontrolled allergies can make the asthma worse. And there's been some evidence that it can lead to nasal polyps in the nose.

Unfortunately many kids suffer from nasal congestion, but they don't complain about it. Forty percent of kids have it -- and roughly 2 million school days are lost per year due to this.

What are the various treatments for allergies?
 
There are a number of medications, I am sure most parents have heard about the antihistamines -- these help relieve sneezing, itchiness and a runny nose, but doesn't do a good job on congestion; one of the biggest side effects is that it can cause sedation, extreme tiredness. An example of an antihistamine is Claritin, now available over-the-counter, or the generic and less expensive form called Loratadine.

As I said, [antihistamines] don't handle congestion so sometimes people will combine them with decongestants, which can shrink the inflamed nasal tissue and offer relief from nasal congestion. This can be taken orally or by nasal spray. One big caution about using an over-the-counter nasal spray is that people use it too often or for too many days in a row, and then their symptoms can get worse. Don't use it for longer than a few days in a row. An example of an over-the-counter nasal spray is Afrin or Neosynepherine.

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