Does your child sneeze a lot or often have a runny nose or itchy, watery eyes? If so, you might suspect an allergy: About one in five U.S. children has allergies. Typically affecting the eyes, skin, or upper and lower airways, allergies are caused by a heightened immune response to normally harmless substances from foods to mold spores.
“Allergies can be a year-round problem for children in Houston,” says Dr. Stuart Abramson, a physician with the Allergy and Immunology Clinic at Texas Children’s Hospital and assistant professor of Pediatrics and Immunology at Baylor College of Medicine. “Allergic rhinitis (inflammation of the nose), or ‘hay fever,’ is by far the most common allergy in younger children.”
Parents can recognize allergic rhinitis in their child by looking for symptoms such as sneezing, itching, and rubbing the nose (which often has a nasal discharge that is thin and clear) with no fever.
“Diagnosis is key to helping control allergies,” states Dr. Abramson. “If you suspect your child has allergies, your pediatrician can refer you to an allergist who can diagnose him or her by history, physical exam and various tests for specific allergens.”
When perennial allergic rhinitis is controlled, related conditions, such as sinusitis, swelling in the nasal cavity and ear infections, are more easily prevented. A diagnosed allergy can be treated safely and effectively with medications such as topical nasal steroids and antihistamines. Inhaled corticosteroids, which treat both allergies and asthma, are sometimes prescribed.
For children whose allergies cannot be controlled by medication, allergists often recommend a program of immunotherapy, during which a child receives injections of increasing amounts of the identified allergen. Immunotherapy takes five years or more, after which the child can tolerate the offending allergens.
