Pediatric Allergy and What to Do About It
Diagnosing pediatric allergy is tricky due to its range of presentation and source of allergy. Margaret T. Redmond, MD, a pediatric allergist at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, discussed about proper management of allergies and when is the right time to seek help.
Skin allergy is the most common allergy among children, with food allergy coming in second. Being diagnosed with an allergy at an early age can affect both the emotional and physical health of a child.
MORE ABOUT: Causal link between antibiotics and childhood asthma dismissed
What is an Allergy?
An allergy is a physiological response of the body's immune system to a foreign substance (antigen). The immune system generates antibodies called immunoglobin E (IgE), to attack and destroy the substance that triggered the allergic reaction.
How To Identify the Allergy in Children?
1. Skin test. An allergist pricks the surface of the skin using a diluted solution of a specific allergen to check for a reaction. The level of IgE antibodies is measured to that specific allergen. This procedure usually takes 15 minutes.
2. Blood test. This measures the child's level of IgE antibodies to specific allergens. One of the more common blood tests is called RAST (radioallergosorbent test).
3. Challenge test. This is the gold standard test for allergy. An allergist administers a very small amount of allergen via food or through inhalation and monitored for a reaction.
Treatment for Pediatric Allergy
Early introduction of allergenic foods such as dairy, eggs, nuts, seafood, and maintaining these foods as part of the child's regular diet is usually recommended to help prevent future development of food allergy in children who are at-risk.
Children with allergic rhinitis are more likely to suffer from itching and ocular symptoms. Reasonable therapy would be the use of oral second-generation antibiotics. Due to the increased side effects of first-generation anti-histamine, Redmond does not recommend it.
If the child is older than 2 years old and his or her condition does not improve with oral medications, it is advisable to consult first with an otolaryngologist prior to allergy referral. If a child is beyond 2 years of age, an intranasal corticosteroid spray can be attempted.
Proper Management of Patients
Not all urticaria (hives) is an allergic reaction. The presence of an infection is the most common trigger for acute hives. According to the CDC, although skin allergies can happen at any given age, it most commonly affects children, but that the severity decreases with age.
The best way to manage allergy is to detect the cause early on and prevent it from getting worse. If the hives are caused by an allergy, it should be identified within the preceding hour prior to reaction. If the child was able to eat the same type of food within the last 1-2 weeks without reaction, it means that a food allergy is less likely. If the child has hives without any clear historical trigger, a second-generation antihistamine may be used as treatment daily.
It is best to consult with a pediatrician to ensure that all treatment prescribed addresses your concerns.
LOOK INTO: New Vaccine Prevents Allergies and Lung Infections Caused by Dust Mites: Study
Check out more news and information on Hives on MD News Daily.
Sep 04, 2020 08:20 AM EDT
