Allergies are a hidden threat to children's health

Allergies are one of the most common childhood illnesses. According to statistics, every fifth child in the world now suffers from this problem.

In fact, an allergy is an acute reaction of the body's immune system to usually harmless environmental elements, such as plant pollen, microscopic mites, animal epidermis and epithelium.

These elements – allergens - are regarded by the immune system as dangerous to the body, as a result of which it reacts to them by producing antibodies that cause an inflammatory reaction.

The manifestation of allergies in childhood is very often similar to the symptoms of other diseases, such as acute respiratory infections or rhinitis, so parents may think that the disease will pass by itself over time or try to treat it with home methods.

Signs of allergic rhinitis include runny nose, stuffy nose, sneezing, coughing, itching in the nasal cavity, conjunctivitis (lacrimation, redness and itching of the eyelids). Shortness of breath, heaviness in the chest, cough are symptoms of bronchial asthma. Skin rashes accompanied by itching are manifestations of skin allergic diseases (atopic dermatitis, urticaria).

Symptoms of allergic diseases have varying degrees of severity and can occur throughout the year or occur seasonally (from March to September-October).

More than 70% of patients suffering from allergic diseases have sleep disorders, more than 45% of them feel constant fatigue. Thus, allergies significantly reduce a child's quality of life, reducing their ability to work, focus, and academic performance.

Therefore, if your child has nasal discharge, repeated sneezing, inflamed eyes, skin rashes, lacrimation, bags under the eyes for a long time, be sure to make an appointment for a consultation with an allergist.

You should not try to self-medicate and buy an allergy remedy for your child, focusing on advertising. Such means may not only not bring the desired result, but also cause significant harm to the child's health. An allergy should be treated by a specialist, since this process is complex and requires a strictly individual approach.

EMC pediatric allergologists and immunologists have in their arsenal the most modern laboratory methods for diagnosing the disease. Thanks to this, they will always be able to choose adequate antihistamine therapy, choose an individual skin and mucosal care regimen, and adjust the elimination regimen (measures aimed at removing causally significant allergens or reducing their concentration from the patient's environment). both in the case of a persistent (chronic) process and in the case of seasonal manifestations of the disease (pollinosis).

In addition, doctors at the EMC Children's Clinic practice a method of specific immunotherapy, which is currently the most effective way to treat IgE-mediated allergic diseases.