A body with robust systems in childhood carries that over into adulthood; the same applies if a child experiences severe health conditions early on. These stressors can severely impair a child’s development and overall health as an adult.
If you have kids, one of the most common health conditions to monitor is allergic reactions. An allergy is the immune system’s response to certain factors, which could include mostly harmless things like pollen or dust. Children can inherit allergies from their parents, but an allergy can manifest even when neither parent has one.
Many children have allergies worldwide. For instance, one in eight children has asthma, while 3%-6% have some food allergy. These reactions can range from very minor to life-threatening, so monitoring your child’s health is essential so you can relieve the allergy symptoms and prevent long-lasting severe effects.
5 Signs of Allergy in Children and Why You Should Observe Them
Allergic reactions are not to be ignored. If you don’t address them soon, they can become a severe problem for your child. It’s best to know what allergic reactions to watch out for to catch and relieve allergy symptoms quickly. Check out the list below to learn about reactions you must watch and address quickly.
Nasal congestion
Usually known as a stuffy nose, your child could have an allergic reaction so severe they could only breathe through their mouth. Common triggers for nasal congestion include dirt and other small particles, but smoke, food, and certain medications can cause this reaction.
Nasal congestion can happen anytime, leading to a domino effect of consequences. If they experience it at bedtime, it negatively impacts your child’s sleep schedule, and they would be unable to get a good night’s rest and be lethargic in the morning. This could reduce your child’s attention span in school, impairing their cognitive development.
Leaving this allergy sign untreated could impair the child’s breathing as an adult and affect tooth and facial bone growth. Because people normally breathe through the nose, breathing through the mouth causes abnormal pulls of their facial muscles. These could deform the teeth and jaws and increase the chances of gum disease and tooth decay.
Red and itchy eyes
Many experts call red and itchy eyes allergic conjunctivitis. The eyes could also look watery and swollen. Many factors, like dirt, chlorine, dust mites, and pet hair, can trigger allergic conjunctivitis. While it has similar symptoms to pink eye, it’s important to note that the allergic reaction is not contagious and isn’t a viral or bacterial infection.
Sinus headaches and coughing could also accompany allergic conjunctivitis, negatively affecting the child’s productivity. Another symptom that some children complain about is blurred vision and the feeling of debris in the eyes, giving them the urge to scratch or rub for relief.
If you find your child scratching or rubbing their eyes, try to stop them immediately, as this may introduce foreign particles and bacteria into the cornea. Leaving the allergic reaction untreated and allowing the child to continue rubbing their eyes could lead to keratoconus and corneal scarring. In addition, the child may have vision problems as they age.
Difficulty breathing and wheezing
Experts usually attribute difficulty breathing and wheezing to asthma. They are the most common signs of the condition because the lung’s airways become swollen and narrow. Like the previous entries, pet hair, dust, and smoke can trigger asthma.
This allergic reaction can range from mild to severe, but even those suffering mild symptoms can sometimes have exacerbated episodes. Therefore, doctors usually give inhalers to children suffering from this allergy.
Asthma attacks are one of the more severe reactions you must monitor, even if the child has an inhaler. It can quickly become life-threatening for them because they have difficulty breathing. If their inhaler doesn’t work, their lips or fingernails turn blue, or they are so out of breath they can barely speak, rush the child to the emergency room.
Untreated breathing difficulties could lead to the child having permanently narrow bronchial tubes, which limits their lung capacity.
Hives
Also known as urticaria, hives are itchy red areas or welts on the skin’s surface. These could either appear all over the body or concentrated in one spot. The appearance of hives is usually a sign of a food allergy, with nuts, shellfish, eggs, and milk as some of the most common triggers among children. However, stress, extreme temperatures, and even water exposure can cause hives.
These red welts usually last less than 48 hours, and it’s a cause of concern if they last longer than that period. Another severe side effect of hives is the swelling of various tissues inside the body, called angioedema. When this happens, your child could have more difficulty breathing if the tissues around their mouth and throat swell.
If left untreated, the angioedema could spread, causing anaphylactic shock. It’s better to bring the child to the doctor if they have difficulty breathing. An injection of epinephrine can help deal with hives and anaphylaxis.
Eczema
On the surface, eczema or atopic dermatitis can appear like hives. The skin turns itchy and red, but the difference is that eczema is dry and bumpy and sometimes has blisters filled with liquid. On the other hand, hives appear in larger patches and aren’t dry.
Around 6% of children worldwide suffer from eczema. Like hives, they’re usually a symptom of food allergies, asthma, and allergic rhinitis. There are several triggers for eczema, which include extreme temperatures, sand, pollen, stress, sweating, certain detergents, and even hot baths.
While eczema isn’t curable, it’s not a life-threatening condition. However, if a child excessively scratches, they could have permanent scars. The risk of breaking the skin is also dangerous, leading to infections. So, you need to react fast if you notice these symptoms in your child.
Proper Monitoring Leads to Better Health
There are many things that your child could be allergic to, so it’s essential to see a doctor to diagnose how severe their symptoms are. However, even with mild allergies, monitoring the signs is safer, so they don’t suffer severe effects. If your child is experiencing lasting symptoms, it’s better to have a medical expert treat them as soon as possible.
Through proper monitoring and treatment, your child can grow up with a healthier body and have few complications when they become an adult.