When your child suffers from untreated allergies, they can find themselves dealing with uncomfortable and unpleasant symptoms on a regular basis. For a few children, allergic reactions can even be life-threatening.
Fortunately, though, with the right diagnosis, monitoring, and treatment plan from pediatric care specialists Rainilda Valencia, MD, Micaela Marin-Tucker, PA-C, and Megan Reynolds, C-PNP, at Valencia Pediatrics in Victorville, California, your child can live safely and comfortably with allergies.
Read on to learn about five of the most common allergies in children and what to do if you suspect your child has one.
Allergies are very common in children and adults. They affect around 50 million Americans.
Your child can have allergies from birth or develop them when they’re older. When your child develops an allergy, they experience symptoms when they’re exposed to the allergen trigger.
Allergy symptoms can be unpleasant but mild, such as experiencing a runny nose, sneezing, or runny eyes. Less commonly, symptoms can be more severe, causing a reaction called anaphylactic shock that makes breathing difficult if your child is exposed to the trigger.
Your child can develop an allergic reaction to anything. These are five of the most common types of allergies you’re likely to see in your child.
Children are especially prone to developing food allergies. Eating or exposure to the food can cause your child to have an upset stomach, mouth swelling, hives, and itching.
Some of the most common food allergies in children include:
The best way to manage your child’s food allergies is by having your child avoid eating any products with the triggering food.
Irritants include various types of products your child can inhale in the environment. Childhood irritant-related allergies that occur frequently are:
Keep any irritating products out of your household whenever possible, and have medication prescribed to alleviate your child’s symptoms when they encounter these triggers.
Children can have allergies to the dander, fur, venom, or other parts of animals. Allergies can range from common household pets to outdoor insects or even termites.
Avoiding the animal when possible is the best way to help manage an allergy to an animal. For allergies to some insects, like bees and wasps, our team recommends having your child carry an EpiPen® to administer if they get stung.
The pollen in trees and plants, as well as other smells and substances present in nature, commonly cause allergic reactions in kids. These allergies can be seasonal, only occurring at certain times of the year, or happen all year.
Medications can help your child experience fewer or no symptoms during the times of year they experience outdoor allergies.
Mold and dust mites are common irritants inside your house that can cause your child to chronically feel unwell. You can help your child by keeping your home as free as possible of these triggers.
If you think your child might have allergies, make an appointment for an evaluation and treatment plan at Valencia Pediatrics. Our team evaluates your child to determine the type and severity of their allergy.
You and your child can help by keeping a diary to record what typically triggers their allergy response. Based on our testing and consultation with you and your child, our team develops a treatment plan to manage your child’s allergies.
With the right treatment, allergies in children are highly manageable. Help your child manage their allergies more effectively by calling our office today.
