Ravina Sewani

<ul><li>Pollen, a fine yellow powder discharged from flowers that spreads through winds, birds, insects, is one of the most common environment-based allergens.</li><li>Pollination is mostly seasonal hence the allergy reactions to pollen are higher in the season of pollination.</li><li>The water-soluble proteins in the pollen can trigger the immune system resulting in an allergic reaction when it comes into contact via mucus membrane.</li><li>Allergic reactions to pollen include runny nose, sneezing, watery eyes, itchy nose/eyes/ ears/mouth, and can worsen asthma symptoms.</li><li>Your child's paediatrician will diagnose the pollen allergy by examining the symptoms, medical and family history and suggest skin prick test or blood test if necessary.</li><li>The best way to prevent pollen allergies is to avoid exposure to pollen by limiting outdoor activities during pollen season and taking preventive medications like antihistamine (prescribed by your child’s paediatrician) for symptomatic relief.</li><li>Your doctor may recommend steroids for severe reactions or immunotherapy for chronic symptoms.</li><li>It is not always possible to avoid air-borne allergens entirely but certain preventive measures will help you keep your little one safe.</li><li>Airborne allergens like pollen can either trigger immediate reactions like Hay Fever (allergic rhinitis), Oral Allergy Syndrome, Allergic Asthma or delayed reaction like Eczema.</li></ul> Symptoms:<ul><li>Itching</li><li>Rashes</li><li>Vomiting</li><li>Diarrhoea</li><li>Swelling of the lips or tongue or face</li><li>Throat constriction</li><li>Difficulty in breathing</li><li>Allergies may sometimes also cause a life-threatening reaction called anaphylaxis which constricts the airway passage and requires immediate medical attention.</li><li>The symptoms of pollen allergy are similar to common cold like shortness of breath, wheezing, runny nose, sneezing, itching, fatigue, etc., but the trigger is different in both. While allergies are an immune system response to an allergen, cold is caused by a virus.</li></ul> Diagnosis:<ul><li>Always get your child diagnosed by a healthcare expert and never on your own. Never self-assume that your child has peanut allergy. Commercial home test kits for self-diagnosis are not recommended as they may not be of the required standards.</li><li>Your child’s paediatrician may recommend that your child undertake tests like skin prick test, blood test or food/drug challenge. It is important that these tests are performed under medical supervision as these tests might trigger an allergic reaction. Along with these tests, your child’s paediatrician will also examine your child's medical/family history, existing conditions like asthma and eczema.</li></ul>

Pollen allergy is seasonal and so precautionary measures will help a lot.

Pollen allergy

Children are prone to taking in passive smoke if someone in the family has a habit of smoking. Smoke from the cigarette can cause mild to severe allergies in children and pose the risk of asthma in their later lives. Symptoms:<ul><li>difficulty breathing</li><li>wheezing</li><li>hoarseness</li><li>headache</li><li>watery eyes</li><li>runny nose</li><li>congestion</li><li>sneezing</li><li>itchiness</li><li>nausea</li></ul> DiagnosisYour child's doctor will apply small drops of different allergens to parts of your child's forearm skin and wait to see which allergens of tobacco produce a reaction. Prevention:Here are a few tips to minimise your child's exposure to tobacco products that may cause an allergic reaction:<ul><li>Don't smoke when you are around/with your child(ren).</li><li>Avoid taking your child to areas where they will be exposed to secondhand smoke.</li><li>If someone smokes and then wants to play/take care of a child, ask them to wash their hands and clean their mouth before they handle your baby.</li><li>Do not smoke during pregnancy. Apart from your child developing cigarette smoke allergy, the chances of stillbirths are high in smoking mothers than in non-smoking ones.</li><li>Segregation between smokers and non-smokers in an indoor environment will reduce the risk of secondhand smoke exposure but does not completely eliminated it.</li></ul> Treatment:If your child gets diagnosed with cigarette smoke allergy, it is better to get medicine prescribed for them. It is not advisable to give them over-the-counter remedies for tobacco allergies.

Children are exposed to secondhand smoke unknowingly and this can cause problems in later stages of their lives.

Cigarette smoke allergy

Some children may develop allergic reactions against the chemicals present in the household products like carpet flooring, paints, cleaning chemicals. Symptoms:<ul><li>Itching</li><li>Rashes</li><li>Vomiting</li><li>Diarrhoea</li><li>Swelling of the lips or tongue or face</li><li>Throat constriction</li><li>Difficulty in breathing</li><li>Allergies may sometimes also cause a life-threatening reaction called anaphylaxis which constricts the airway passage and requires immediate medical attention.</li></ul> Diagnosis:<ul><li>Always get your child diagnosed by a healthcare expert and never on your own. Never self-assume that your child has peanut allergy. Commercial home test kits for self-diagnosis are not recommended as they may not be of the required standards.</li><li>Your child’s paediatrician may recommend that your child undertake tests like skin prick test, blood test or food/drug challenge. It is important that these tests are performed under medical supervision as these tests might trigger an allergic reaction. Along with these tests, your child’s paediatrician will also examine your child's medical/family history, existing conditions like asthma and eczema.</li></ul> Treating allergies:<ul><li>The best way to prevent allergies of any sort in children is to avoid the source of the allergen.</li><li>In allergies, paediatricians usually prescribe antihistamine medicines for mild allergic reactions. Whereas for severe allergic reactions like anaphylaxis, your child’s paediatrician will prescribe an adrenaline auto-injector (AAI).</li></ul> The most common chemicals triggering these reactions are:<ul><li>Volatile Organic Compound (VOCs) emitted by paints, carpets</li><li>Propylene Glycol and Glycol Ethers (PGEs) in cleaning products, paints, or pesticides</li></ul> A few tips to manage allergies due to household items:<ul><li>Avoid your child's exposure to chemical products after diagnosis.</li><li>Replace chemical products with organic or natural cleaning products and avoid aerosol sprays.</li><li>If your child comes in contact with any of these allergens, wash the skin with water immediately and seek expert help from your child’s paediatrician.</li><li>Keep your indoors clean and hygienic if your child has allergies from household products.</li><li>Your doctor may recommend a calamine lotion or an antihistamine for mild reactions. Always keep it handy to treat skin inflammations arising due to chemicals in the products.</li><li>Remove the carpet flooring.</li><li>Opt for a milder paint for the house.</li></ul>

Children may sometimes develop allergy to indoor allergens as well. Hence it is important to maintain the hygiene of your house.

Carpet allergy

<ul><li>Allergic Rhinitis is a type of inflammation in the nose following an exposure to the pollen or inhalation of indoor allergens like mould, pet dander, dust mites, dried skin flakes, or smoke.</li><li>As a preventive measure, you may reduce your child's exposure to the outdoor allergens and provide a clean environment free from indoor allergens.</li><li>The symptoms of allergic rhinitis are similar to common cold like runny nose, sneezing, nasal congestion, nose/eye itching, and teary eyes.</li><li>Allergic Rhinitis can develop in children as early as 18 months.</li><li>In the case of Allergic Rhinitis, your child’s doctor can prescribe either antihistamines or decongestants.</li></ul>

Allergic rhinitis is a severe allergic reaction against allergens.

Allergic Rhinitis

Practically, a child can be allergic towards any vegetable but the most common are asparagus, cabbage, potatoes, carrot, cucumber, spinach, avocado. Causes: Proteins present in the fruit that the child is allergic to. Symptoms: Symptoms usually show up minutes after a child has been exposed to a vegetable that (s)he is allergic to. Sometimes, the symptoms might show up after a few hours.The symptoms include:<ul><li>Nasal congestion, runny nose, sneezing or dry cough</li><li>Eczema (a dry, itchy rash) or hives (reddish, swollen, itchy areas on the skin)</li><li>Redness of the skin around the mouth or eyes</li><li>Itchy mouth, ear canal or lip swelling, odd taste in the mouth</li><li>Nausea or vomiting, diarrhoea or stomach pain</li><li>Drop in blood pressure</li><li>Severe reactions include loss of consciousness, chest pain, turning pale, shortness of breath, trouble swallowing, or anaphylaxis</li></ul> Diagnosis:<ul><li>The first thing is to not self-diagnose. Always rely on a healthcare expert's diagnosis.</li><li>A healthcare expert will examine your child's symptoms, his/her health history, and conduct other tests if required, to confirm whether your child has an allergy towards particular foods or not.</li><li>The doctor might get a blood test or a skin prick test done for your child.</li></ul> Foods to avoid:<ul><li>Raw vegetable to which the child is allergic.</li><li>Vegetable soup.</li><li>Food dishes which contain the vegetable to which your child is allergic.</li></ul> Treating allergies:<ul><li>The best way to prevent allergies of any sort in children is to avoid the source of the allergen.</li><li>In allergies, paediatricians usually prescribe antihistamine medicines for mild allergic reactions. Whereas for severe allergic reactions like anaphylaxis, your child’s paediatrician will prescribe an adrenaline auto-injector (AAI).</li></ul> Precautions:<ul><li>Develop a habit of reading the food labels for ingredients and allergy information.</li><li>Teach your child to mention about the allergy whenever (s)he goes to visit someone.</li><li>Inform your child’s school about your child’s allergy. You can also give the medicines prescribed by your child’s doctor to the school which they can use in case of sudden allergic reactions.</li><li>Be careful about the possibility of cross-contact; especially when visiting a restaurant.</li><li>Always keep the allergy medication handy for your child.</li></ul>

Not every child will have an allergy towards the same vegetable. Every child's immune system reacts differently towards different vegetables. The allergic reaction, however, is more or less the same towards any kind of vegetable.

Vegetable allergies

Oral Allergy Syndrome (OAS) or Pollen-Fruit Syndrome (PFS) is a type of contact allergy resulting in a local reaction in the mouth or throat following ingestion of certain foods (raw veggies and fruits).This is commonly seen in children who are highly sensitive to pollen due to the cross-reactivity between the allergy-causing pollen proteins and proteins present in certain foods or vice versa. Symptoms:<ul><li>Symptoms of an OAS are common during the pollen season.</li><li>If a child allergic to pollen develops an allergic reaction in the pollen season against a specific fruit or vegetable, it is not a 'true food allergy' but cross-reactivity.</li><li>True Food Allergy is an allergy to the proteins present in the food and is diagnosed by healthcare professionals based on the symptoms, history, and tests if required.</li><li>OAS is diagnosed by evaluating clinical history, followed by a skin prick test containing extracts of pollen and the specific food if required.</li><li>Symptoms of an OAS are immediate within a few minutes, with a rapid onset of itching or swelling of mouth, throat, tongue or face. These symptoms usually disappear in a few minutes as well. The reactions of OAS are usually mild and can be treated by giving your child antihistamine medication prescribed by your doctor.</li></ul>

Oral Allergy Syndrome (OAS) is a local allergic reaction in mouth and throat.

Oral Allergy Syndrome

Nut allergy is usually caused by peanuts. Peanuts grow underground. Peanut allergy can sometimes trigger life-threatening reactions. The proteins found in nuts are considered dangerous by the body and in response the body triggers an immune reaction against those proteins. Peanut allergies generally stay on for life but in very rare cases, children may outgrow these allergies. Peanut allergies are severe hence even trace amounts of peanut could trigger an immune reaction posing a threat to your child.Nut allergies are also very rarely caused by tree nuts grown above ground. Common tree nuts are Almonds, Brazil nuts, Cashews, Hazelnuts, Macadamia nuts, Pecans, Pine nuts, Pistachio, Walnuts, etc. If your child has a nut allergy, it is advisable to consult your child’s paediatrician before giving him/her coconut based foods. This is because coconut belongs to tree nuts family. Symptoms:<ul><li>Nasal congestion, runny nose, sneezing or dry cough</li><li>Eczema (a dry, itchy rash) or hives (reddish, swollen, itchy areas on the skin)</li><li>Redness of the skin around the mouth or eyes</li><li>Itchy mouth, ear canal or lip swelling, odd taste in the mouth</li><li>Nausea or vomiting, diarrhoea or stomach pain</li><li>Severe reactions include loss of consciousness, chest pain, turning pale, shortness of breath, trouble swallowing, or anaphylaxis.</li></ul> Diagnosis:<ul><li>Always get the diagnosis done by an expert. The doctor may recommend that your child undertake tests like skin prick test, blood test or food challenge. It is important that these tests are performed under medical supervision as these tests might trigger an allergic reaction.</li><li>Your child may develop allergies if there is a history of allergies in your family.</li></ul> Precautions:<ul><li>Always keep a habit of reading the food labels for the ingredients.</li><li>It is advisable to avoid all kinds of nuts if your child has developed allergy to one of the nuts. This is because there are risks of cross-contact and even trace amount of the nut your child is allergic to can lead to severe allergic reactions. Consult your child’s paediatrician for the same.</li><li>Inform your child's school or caretakers of the nut allergy so that they have an emergency response kit or you can provide the emergency kit to the school.</li><li>Keep an anti-allergic medicine prescribed by your child’s paediatrician handy in case of mild triggers.</li></ul> Foods to avoid:<ul><li>Cross-contact is common in the case of nut allergy so always be careful of the foods your child consumes.</li><li>Be careful of the following foods as nuts could be a hidden ingredient in them:</li><li>Cereals, breakfast bars, snacks like crackers, cookies, cakes, pastries, energy or protein bars, pancakes, egg rolls</li><li>Beverages like flavoured hot chocolate, flavoured coffee</li><li>Desserts like ice creams, frozen yogurts, chocolates, candy, fudge</li><li>Cheese, butter or oil from tree nuts or other nuts</li><li>Even personal hygiene products like shampoos, lotions, perfumes, and soaps may contain extracts from nuts</li><li>Pet food, bird seeds, compost used as fertiliser may contain peanut shells</li></ul>

Nut allergies can be of two types: tree nut allergies or underground nut allergies.

Nut allergy

<ul><li>Dust mites are very small bugs which live in humid environments and feed on scales shed by human skin. Dust mites need around 80% humidity and so as soon as the humidity falls, they die.</li><li>A protein present in the wastes of dust mites is usually found in the beds, carpets, furniture and when your child inhales such air, an allergic reaction is triggered.</li><li>Dust mites are the most common culprits behind your child's asthma. So it is very important to clean the furniture in the house properly at regular intervals.</li><li>The growth of dust mites can be prevented by dust-proofing your house using vacuum cleaner and washing pillows and mattresses in hot water time to time.</li><li>The growth of dust mites and hence the allergic reactions can be reduced by installing dehumidifiers to reduce the percentage of humidity indoors. You can also use HEPA filters in the air purifiers of your house.</li><li>Avoid carpeting in your house if your child is allergic to dust mites.</li></ul> Symptoms:<ul><li>Itching</li><li>Rashes</li><li>Vomiting</li><li>Diarrhoea</li><li>Swelling of the lips or tongue or face</li><li>Throat constriction</li><li>Difficulty in breathing</li><li>Allergies may sometimes also cause a life-threatening reaction called anaphylaxis which constricts the airway passage and requires immediate medical attention.</li></ul> Diagnosis:<ul><li>Always get your child diagnosed by a healthcare expert and never on your own. Never self-assume that your child has peanut allergy. Commercial home test kits for self-diagnosis are not recommended as they may not be of the required standards.</li><li>Your child’s paediatrician may recommend that your child undertake tests like skin prick test, blood test or food/drug challenge. It is important that these tests are performed under medical supervision as these tests might trigger an allergic reaction. Along with these tests, your child’s paediatrician will also examine your child's medical/family history, existing conditions like asthma and eczema.</li></ul>

Allergy to dust mites is usually caused by the carpets used in the house. The best way to make your baby safe is to keep your surroundings clean.

Dust mites allergy

The basic thing to follow in any kind of allergy is to keep your child away from the source of allergy. In case of jute allergy, keep him/her away from jute bags, jute clothes, or anything that's made up of jute. In case there is any sort of reaction, then consult a doctor as soon as possible. Allergies are usually accompanied by the following symptoms:<ul><li>Watery or itchy eyes</li><li>Coughing</li><li>Running nose</li><li>Sneezing</li><li>Irritation in throat</li><li>Skin rashes</li><li>Red skin</li><li>In more severe and sensitive cases, there is shortness of breath too.</li><li>If you observe such symptoms every time your child is near jute, it is time to consult your doctor.</li></ul>

Allergies usually require medications prescribed by a doctor. Hence, when you think your child has developed an allergy to something, it is advisable to consult your doctor.

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