Identify The Early Symptoms of Allergies in Children

Allergies affect children everywhere. It can be difficult to know what to watch out for. Read on to know common signs and symptoms.

Dust, cats, peanuts, cockroaches. An odd grouping, but one with a common thread: Allergies - a major cause of illness in children. Around 30 per cent of Indians, including kids of all age, have some type of allergy. In fact, allergies account for the loss of an estimated 2 million schooldays per year.

The worst part about allergies is that it can hit people of any age and at any point of time with unnoticed symptoms. This makes it difficult for parents with allergic child to identify the signs and symptoms at early stage. It often passes on to generations as well. Yes, allergies do inherit from allergic parents to children.

If one of the parents is allergic to any source, chances are high that their children may also suffer from the same allergic problem. About 33% children with one allergic parent will develop an allergy and over 70% children with both parents allergic are likely to have allergy. But a few kids have allergies even if no family member is allergic. And a child who is allergic to one substance is likely to be allergic to others as well, which means parents should know about the little signs their kid might experience for any allergic reaction. Identifying the early symptoms of allergic reaction in children can improve quality of his/her life.

Below are the symptoms to watch out for allergies in children:

• Eyes: Itchy, watery, prickly eyes, red eyes, swollen eyes, dark areas under the eyes due to blocked sinuses
• Nose, Throat and Ear: Runny, blocked, itchy nose, sneezing, pain in sinuses, headaches, post-nasal drip, loss of sense of smell and taste, sore throat, swollen larynx (voice box), itchy mouth or throat, blocked or glue ear
• Airways: Wheezy breathing, difficulty in breathing, coughing (especially at night)
• Skin: Urticaria (hives, bumpy, itchy raised areas, rashes), Eczema (cracked, dry, or broken skin), swelling of the deep layers of the skin
• Digestion: Swollen or itchy lips/tongue, stomach ache, feeling sick, vomiting, constipation, diarrhea, bleeding from the bottom, reflux and poor growth

Different allergies produce a range of different symptoms and these can point to what type of allergy a child is suffering from. Many of these symptoms can develop as a result of other common childhood illnesses, too. However, with allergy, symptoms may appear suddenly, even dramatically; they can be persistent, and can appear without an obvious cause.

For e.g., a child with eczema will have chronic itchy, sore skin, while an asthma sufferer may not be able to run around with their friends, and the coughing and wheezing can affect their sleep. Allergic Rhinitis sufferers can struggle to avoid the allergens they react to, while children with a food allergy may have to worry about anaphylaxis (severe allergies causing death) if they have a severe reaction.

Suffering from any of these symptoms can have a massive impact on a child’s life. Some symptoms can be seen to lead to more severe conditions, for example, itchy rashes can lead to skin infections; and chronic diarrhoea can lead to weight loss. However, there are many more minor symptoms, such as constant runny or blocked noses that may affect the quality of a child’s life because, for example, they then suffer from headaches, lack of sleep, and lack of concentration at school. Tiredness can lead to irritability and bad moods, and this can affect both the child and whole family.

This is why it is so important that allergy in children should be diagnosed, treated and controlled. Homeopathy is the safest solution to treat allergies in kids as well as adults, as it has no side-effects and the treatment results are long-lasting. In the past 35 years, patients’ at Dr Batra’s^® have reported significant relief from the distressing condition, with a patient satisfaction rate of around 94% for treating allergies.