Pediatric Allergic Disorders

Allergic Rhinitis

Anaphylaxis

Animal Allergy

Asthma

Atopic Dermatitis

Food Allergy

Hives

Latex Allergy

Reactions to Medications

Overview

The term "allergy" is frequently misused to refer to any abnormal reaction. In fact, it truly means that the person is making a specific immune response to a foreign substance. These substances can be pollens, mold spores, dust mites, other insects, animal dander, drugs and foods. They can enter the body through the mouth, nose, lung or even injected like a medicine. Allergic people are sensitive to various substances, which are called allergens. Allergens will affect people who are sensitive to them.

Allergy symptoms usually affect the nose, the eyes, the mouth, the ears, the airways, and the skin, the gastrointestinal tract and blood vessels. When the nose is involved a patient may have a runny nose, congestion, sneezing fits, itchy nose and drainage. The eyes become red, watery and itchy. Fluid may persist in the ears and present as chronic serous media. Swelling of the upper airway (larynx) or wheezing (as in asthma) may occur. The skin may be involved with eczema, hives or swelling (angioedema). When the gastrointestinal system is involved there may be nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain or diarrhea. The most serious allergic reaction is anaphylactic shock. When this occurs all of the blood vessels open widely, the patient loses blood pressure and there may be serious consequences. Most allergic people develop only one set of symptoms but other symptoms can develop. Children frequently can have allergic rhinitis and few may go on to develop asthma. Allergy can also start with atopic dermatitis in the infant and progress to asthma and allergic rhinitis later.

The tendency to develop allergies is inherited. About 10-20 percent of children will have no family history (parents or siblings affected). The "chances" of being allergic increases when one parent is allergic and increases significantly more when both parents are allergic. The tendency to develop allergy is inherited, not the specific allergens. An allergy may persist for a long time.

The specific allergen that a person becomes sensitive to depends upon exposure. Exposure, the amount of exposure, and length of time of exposure are necessary to develop allergy. It would be very unusual to be allergic to something on the first exposure - the usual story is that the person has had frequent courses of antibiotics, a bee sting, or exposure to a food then suddenly develops a problem. New sensitivities can develop over time. Infants may develop food allergy during the first few years then develop mite and animal allergy if there is exposure and finally pollen allergy after the second or third birthday. For pollens it may take two or three years of the short seasons of exposure to become sensitized. Just as people are prone to develop allergies, certain substances are great allergens or sensitizers. Some examples of great sensitizers include ragweed, tree pollen, dust mites, cat dander, and grass pollen. Some examples of unusual or poor sensitizers are pine pollen and cottonwood tree seed.

There are a number of ways to treat allergic disorders:

• Avoidance - the most important treatment and most effective. Place a barrier between the allergic person and their allergen.

This mode of treatment is so important that the use of medicine or allergy shots may be totally ineffective if the "trigger" or allergen is still present.

• Symptom control with medication.
• Allergy shots - an attempt to increase the patients' resistance to allergens by stimulating the immune system by injecting amounts of allergen at regular intervals.

Keep in mind that allergies are not "cured," but kept under control through avoidance, medication, and immunotherapy.