It’s like clockwork, every fall the pollen from trees fills the air and your allergies begin acting up. According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA), allergies are a reflection of an overreaction of the immune system to substances that usually cause no reaction in most individuals. Symptoms of allergies include sneezing, wheezing, coughing and itching and can even be life threatening depending on the severity of the reaction.
Allergies can be inherited or developed later in life. A person’ likelihood of developing an allergy depends on whether or not one or both parents suffers from allergies. A child is very unlikely to have allergies if neither parent has them. Airborne, food, medicine, chemicals and insect venom are categories of allergies, each resulting in similar reactions.
The AAFA states that an estimated 50 million people in the United States are affected by nasal allergies, 30 percent of which are adults and 40 percent are children. In addition, allergic diseases are the 5th leading chronic disease in the U.S. among all ages, and the 3rd most common chronic disease among children under 18 years old.
To test for allergies, doctors will either perform a prick/puncture or an intradermal test. American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology explains that during this test, a diluted allergen is applied with a prick or a puncture on the surface of the skin. Intradermal testing involves using a 26- to 30-guage (very thin) needle, to inject a diluted allergen immediately below the skin surface.
Because allergies can be life threatening, parents are advised to get their children tested, take note of skin rashes and keep food diaries if a child shows abnormal reactions after eating.
To learn more about signs symptoms and the treatment of allergies visit:
The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America
American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology
KidsHealth.org