publication date: Apr 24, 2012
|
author/source: George Du Toit
1) If your
child suffers from an
allergy, whether it be
asthma, eczema, a food allergy, hay fever or one of the many other types of
allergy, you're not alone. It's predicted that
allergies now affect 40 to 50 per cent of the population, with the rate
increasing fastest amongst
children.
2) No one really knows why
allergies are increasing. One school of thought is that we lead
cleaner, germ-free lives today and our
immune systems are therefore under-developed and
over-react when exposed to
allergens such as grass pollen, house dust mites and cat hairs. It is most likely to be a combination of
genetic and
environmental factors that act at different times.
3) Food allergy is most prevalent during the
first few years of life and affects between
six to eight per cent of children in the UK. The
most common foods children are
allergic to are: cow's milk, hen's eggs, peanut, tree nut (eg cashew), sesame, soya, wheat and kiwi fruit.
4) Many children
outgrow their allergies, for example,
egg and milk allergy are outgrown in at least 85 per cent of children by the age of five to seven years, whereas
peanut, tree nut and sesame allergy tend to continue into
adulthood.
5) Common
symptoms of food-induced allergies include rashes (hives, eczema), swelling, gut pain and vomiting, itchy red eyes and runny nose, wheezing, and very occasionally anaphylaxis.
6) Eczema is a complex skin disorder that arises due to
complex genetic environmental interplay and which, in children, often heralds the start of the "allergic march".
Eczema, especially if of
early onset and increased severity, is strongly associated with
food allergies and the development of
aero-allergies, such as:
| house dust mites | pet fur
| pollen |
| cow's milk | hen's eggs | nuts |
| soya | wheat | |
7) In up to
50 per cent of children,
eczema is associated with an underlying
food allergy and whilst the food allergen may not actually cause the
eczema, eating it may make the
symptoms worse.
8) Foods such as
tomato, citrus and berries may irritate
facial eczema. You can still feed your
child these foods, but it's better to
serve them cooked, and after the
application of a moisturiser to any dry skin or eczema patches on the face, to minimise symptoms.
9) Children of
all ages can be
tested for allergies (either through a
skin test or
blood test) but it's important that this is done by a
doctor who specialises in
allergy to ensure the condition is
identified and managed correctly.
10) The good news is that
allergy management is changing.
Healthcare professionals are starting to realise just how important it is to
provide emotional support alongside
symptom treatment, so do speak to your doctor and get the
help you need. Additional information can be found at the
British Society for Allergy & Clinical Immunology (BSACI), Allergy UK, UK Anaphylaxis Campaign, Asthma UK, National Eczema Society.
