Allergies in children are a pretty common health problem. Among chronic diseases in children, allergies rank first and since they are developed in response to different agents (food, pets, plants etc.), it is hard to work out a single cause or a single set of preventive strategies. Some of the most common forms of allergies in children are:
o Asthma
o Eczema
o Allergic Rhinitis
o Gastrointestinal Allergies
Symptoms of allergies vary according to the allergen (the substance responsible for causing allergy) and the child’s own immune system (individual health status). More common symptoms of allergies include but are not limited to:
o Swelling, reddening, itching, and tearing of eyelids
o Runny nose, sneezing, nasal itching, stuffy nose
o Breathing difficulty (asthma), closing of throat (difficulty in swallowing) cough, and/or wheezing
o Swelling of facial parts, and/or tongue, or hives
o Redness and itching of skin, and/or rash
o Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea
Singling out a few preventive strategies are not very useful since each case of allergy is unique, depending on the child’s genetic makeup, immune strength, and living conditions. However, following are some general guidelines that can minimize the chances of a kid catching allergies.
1. Breastfeed the baby in his/her early months. Although breastfeeding has not been shown to be very effective in fighting off possible allergies, it generally tends to boost the child’s immune system.
2. Try to wean the child off onto an organic diet (grown without using agricultural chemicals). This prevents food allergies and also boosts immunity.
3. As far as possible, try not to expose your child to industrial waste or pollutants in (especially found in some workplaces) which are the cause of allergies in many cases.
4. While it may sound hard, preventing your child from inhaling cigarette smoke and emanations from other drugs helps him/her grow up with a fortified immune system.
5. Do not expose your child (not deliberately at least) to the company of people having serious infectious diseases.
6. Prevent the child from taking a highly fatty diet. The best dietary fats are omega-3 fatty acids (fish oil) and they should be given to the child in a comparatively greater amount than omega-6 fatty acids (vegetable oil). Children may be put on an omega-3 supplement.
7. It always counts if the child is given enough fruits and vegetables because these contain antioxidants (vitamins C and E), which boost the immunity against allergies (especially against allergic asthma).