When your child encounters a substance that causes an allergic reaction, it can be deeply unpleasant. When their allergies are severe, it could even threaten their life.
By making a plan with family and board-certified pediatricians Rainilda Valencia, MD, and Deepika Saini, MD, FAAP, and our team at Valencia Pediatrics in Victorville, California, you can reduce your child’s risk of experiencing symptoms. Understand what you can do to help guard against your child’s allergy.
We encounter numerous substances, including pollen, pet dander, dust, food, insects, and common household objects throughout the day. They don’t cause problems for most people, but for someone with an allergy, exposure to the trigger causes an allergic reaction.
Many children and adults have allergic reactions. Symptoms can range from mild and minimally bothersome to life-threatening.
It’s not known what causes allergies to develop, and it’s usually not possible to prevent them. However, once you know your child has an allergy, you can take steps to guard against problems.
Once your child has been diagnosed with an allergy, our team works with your family to help limit their reaction. Some solutions we might recommend for your family include:
Sometimes, children have allergic reactions, but it’s not clear what’s causing them. If you’re not sure what your child is allergic to, our team performs allergy testing to determine their specific allergens and make a treatment plan.
One of the easiest ways to guard against allergies is to avoid the allergen as much as possible. For example, if your child has a food allergy or an allergy to pet dander, they should avoid the trigger completely.
Some allergies, such as pollen, dust, mold, and insects, are more difficult to avoid, but you can still take steps to limit your child’s exposure. Try the following techniques:
In addition to protecting your immediate household area, get your child’s school, and other places your child goes frequently, involved. For example, you can ask for your child to sit at a nut-free table in the lunch area if they have a severe nut allergy.
When the allergen is impossible to avoid, medication can often help relieve or eliminate your child’s symptoms. Some effective medications are available over the counter. Our team can prescribe other treatments if needed.
If your child’s allergies are severe or life-threatening, it’s important to have a safety plan in place in case your child reacts. Their school, sports team, and other places they spend time should all be aware of the plan.
Often, an emergency plan involves your child or people who are around your child regularly to have an EpiPen®. When your child has a severe reaction, they or an adult injects the medication while awaiting an emergency response.
Having the right plan in place minimizes or eliminates your child’s contact with allergen triggers and helps them feel safe. Contact us to make an allergy testing or allergy management appointment today.
