How to Help Your Child Cope With Their Allergies

Keeping their children healthy and feeling good is at the top of any parent’s priority list. Unfortunately, allergies can get the best of anyone, at any age. Coping with the symptoms of allergies can be difficult for anyone, especially since the symptoms of allergies can mimic the symptoms of other conditions. Luckily, your pediatrician can help you pinpoint your child’s allergies and manage their symptoms. Learn more about allergies in children with Downers Grove Pediatrics with locations in Downers Grove and Bolingbrook, IL.

Does my child have allergies? 
Most children do not develop seasonal allergies until they turn four or five. Though parents often misinterpret allergy symptoms as a common cold, seasonal allergies have a few tell-tale symptoms, including:

• symptoms that last longer than 10 days
• continually stuffy or runny nose
• clear nasal drainage instead of green or yellow
• sneezing
• itchy, red, and watery eyes
• mouth breathing due to a stuffy nose
• dry cough
• skin irritation or rash

Food and skin allergies may produce similar symptoms or present themselves in digestive issues, rashes, or, in very severe cases, anaphylactic shock.

How can I manage my child’s allergies? 
Managing your child’s allergy symptoms will depend on the type of allergy they have. Food and skin allergies only occur when the allergen comes into contact with the body, making avoiding that allergen enough to avoid allergic reactions. Seasonal allergies may take a bit more work to manage. Depending on the allergen, your pediatrician may suggest an antihistamine or steroid nasal spray to manage daily symptoms. Do not give your child over-the-counter allergy medication without first consulting with their pediatrician. For severe or very persistent allergies, your doctor may suggest an allergy shot. Known as immunotherapy, this treatment introduces minute doses of the allergen into your child’s bloodstream over the course of several shots. Your child’s body eventually learns to more effectively fight off the allergen and becomes immune to the reaction associated with it. The shots usually occur once or twice a month for about a year or longer.

Allergies in Downers Grove and Bolingbrook 
Doctors often use an allergy test to pinpoint exactly to what your child is allergic. A scratch test introduces a tiny amount of allergen to the skin through a small scratch. If the skin reacts, the child is allergic. Blood tests can also diagnose allergies but are normally not as effective as a scratch test. If you think your child could benefit from an allergy test, talk with your pediatrician to schedule an examination.

For more information on allergies, please contact Downers Grove Pediatrics. Call (630) 852-4551 to schedule your child’s appointment in Downers Grove and (630) 759-9230 to schedule your child’s appointment in Bolingbrook today!