Causes of allergy in children: types and treatment
From the manifestation of allergy symptoms for todayMany people suffer a day. Unfortunately, most of these patients are children. After all, the world around a small person is full of a variety of substances that come into contact with its mucous membranes and skin, enter the body with food, and also during breathing.
With a predisposition to acute reactionsindividual interactions sometimes cause inflammatory processes that have different manifestations. Show this kind of ailment can as from the very appearance of the newborn to the light, and in the process of growing up the body. That is why those parents who cherish their child's health will be useful to know what causes allergies in children and how to fight this disease.
Definition of pathology
Allergic reaction of the child's organism is causedits increased sensitivity to the effects of a wide variety of exogenous and endogenous factors. In this case, your child's immunity can give a negative response to a variety of substances.
Identify the presence of the disease is not difficult. Allergy in children is determined by skin reaction. This severe acute pathology is characterized by very dangerous symptoms. Its signs can appear on the face, and on the whole body, in those places where the skin comes into contact with substances that cause irritation of the immune system. It is important for parents to determine the reasons for allergies in children in time to start their treatment immediately.
Because of what there can be an illness?
Allergy is nothing short of acutethe reaction of immunity to those substances (allergens), which for an ordinary person are harmless. Possessing information about what can cause these unpleasant symptoms in a child, parents can significantly reduce the risk of a child's ailment. It should be remembered that the causes of allergies in children may be hiding in the hereditary factor. If the parents or one of them suffered from this ailment, then the probability of the pathology in the baby is much higher. So, in those cases when one mother suffers from allergies, the risk of illness in a child rises to 80%, if the father is up to 30-40%. In the presence of pathology in grandparents manifestation of the disease at an early age is possible with a probability of 20%.
However, in addition to this, there are some other causes of allergy in children, which are considered to be among the most common. This list includes:
- genetic features;
- malfunctions in the work of immunity;
- taking medicines;
- not in time and wrongly begun feeding;
- eating a large number of vegetables and fruits that can cause an allergic reaction.
There are other causes of allergies in children. However, they are not as common as the above.
Types of pathology
The allergy in children happens:
- Nutritional. The emergence of this type of disease provokeSome foods that contain a large number of antigens. So, often the cause of allergies in children under one year is the body's response to cow protein, as well as the specific composition of the adapted formula. Very rarely, but such a disease occurs as a reaction to mother's milk. Causes of food allergy in older children - the use of eggs, sugar, citrus, buckwheat, as well as tea with lemon and some other products. There is a similar kind of allergy with hives, eczema and neurodermatitis. Sometimes the reaction of the body is the problem of the gastrointestinal tract.
Medicinal. What provokes this allergy in children? The reasons for the reaction of the organism in this case are the reception of certain types of medications. Moreover, pathology can develop with prolonged use of the same drug. Often, a drug allergy occurs after the child passes a course of taking antibiotics, developing against a background of dysbiosis. Symptoms of this reaction are nausea or even anaphylactic shock, changes in blood composition and urticaria.
Contact skin. This is atopic dermatitis, which is the answerthe body for some types of chemicals that are part of shampoos, soaps and other cosmetics, as well as certain dyes used in the manufacture of children's clothing. The causes of skin allergies in children may also be hidden in the household chemistry that mom uses at home or in the nursery school or school.
- Respiratory. This kind of allergic reaction is the mostwidespread, but at the same time less studied. Often an unhealthy reaction of an organism arises because of dogs and cats, and sometimes because of rodents (fur seals and hamsters), and also birds. Such an allergy can have a variety of symptoms, manifested by tearing and various swelling, laryngitis, tracheitis, sinusitis or coughing. Sometimes the cause of this type of pathology is the pollen of plants. However, the manifestation of an allergy is more constant and is expressed in respiratory problems.
- Cross-reference. Sometimes a child has an ailment that is causedsimultaneous exposure to several antigens. Typically, a similar phenomenon occurs at the end of the flowering season of one plant and at the beginning of the flowering season of another. In addition, some pollen species can create a negative duet with food.
It is worth noting the fact that the universalantigen, which is equally dangerous for all children, does not exist in nature. After all, even being in the same room, children react differently to the substances in their air. So, some of them may have an allergic reaction, while others do not. Here everything will depend on the maturity of the immune system and on the innate characteristics of the baby.
Causes of pathology in children under one year of age
Because of what most often manifests the reaction of the baby babies?
- The cause of an allergy in a newborn baby, andalso a month-old baby, as a rule, consists in the reaction of his body to food. In addition, contact skin appearance of the disease is possible on a detergent powder, care products or a diaper. If such is the cause of the allergy in children, the treatment will consist in changing the care product, which provoked the corresponding reaction, as well as in changing the diet with artificial feeding.
- Allergies in children who have reached a 4-monthage, as a rule, develops due to untimely or incorrect complementary feeding. Most often at this time, the reaction occurs on cow's milk. In this regard, those infants who are on artificial feeding, recommended mixtures that do not contain milk protein. Such children are transferred to special cereal, thus allowing to avoid unpleasant consequences for health.
- At six months, a child may suffer from foodan allergy due to the introduction of meat ration in his diet. Such products should appear in the baby's menu very carefully, and start with the smallest portions. In this case, in any case, it is necessary to give preference to dietary white meat.
- When developing an allergic reaction in a child inSeven months of compulsory consultation with a specialist is important. You may need to change the product set or take the necessary tests. At this age, small patients may be prescribed antihistamines. However, such a decision must be made only by an allergist.
- At the age of 8 months, as a rule, the pathology ofchildren are gradually passing. Parents should only have patience. At this time, feeding with a mixture or breast is minimized, and the baby gets more and more adult food. During this period, you should not particularly risk, introducing the child products, most of which cause allergic reactions.
- In 9 months, the symptoms of the body's reaction to those orother types of allergens are practically not manifested. But at the same time parents should give the child proven products and be careful with yoghurts, cottage cheese and other industrial products. Often, they add a variety of flavor enhancers, fillers and other not very useful substances.
- In 10 months, the allergy in children almost completely recedes. But, in spite of this, parents should carefully select food and children's things for their baby.
Causes of pathology in children after a year
The complexity of the problem for already grown-up kids is that, in addition to food reactions, their body can react to such factors as:
- pollen of plants;
- dust;
- animal hair, etc.
Causes of skin allergy in children 2 years of age more oftenall come forth with new food products. This period in the life of the child is particularly important. That is why parents should carefully consider possible reactions of the body, which at this age can particularly adversely affect the further condition of the little man.
And here in five years the allergy at children more oftenmanifested in the off-season. Especially for the development of this pathology, the winter-spring period is characteristic. The cause of the disease in this case, as a rule, is avitaminosis, active growth of the body, as well as other factors, both internal and external.
Children at six years most often suffer from allergiesbecause of contact with animals and birds. In this case, doctors often appoint small patients to take antihistamines. But in any case, the baby will need to be protected from a possible source of allergens and form a special diet.
At the age of 7, babies from allergies, as a rule,Do not suffer. However, the incidence of this disease is still possible. Most often they are a consequence of a sharp decline in immunity due to stress, medication and frequent illnesses.
Psychosomatic reason
Because of what else can an allergy occur in a child? Psychological reasons can also cause the body's reaction in the form of urticaria and Quincke's edema. Often the pathology is manifested and diseases such as eczema, bronchial asthma, allergic rhinitis and others.
If the child's allergy is caused by psychosomatics,the causes of pathology may be in the unwillingness of the kid to take anything in his life. That is, in this way the body protests against any injustice that a child can not express openly.
Sometimes children who have not yet learned to speak have to restrain their strong feelings. They are also connected with the habit of behaving in the family in a certain way.
Psychosomatics of children's allergies can be observed andin those situations when the mother leaves the baby for a whole day, for example, after going to work, as well as with frequent quarrels between parents. An allergic reaction is also triggered by improper education, which does not give the child sufficient internal freedom, when he is under the constant oppression of prohibitions that suppress him as a person.
Frequent Symptoms
Often shows allergies on the legs of a child. The causes of skin lesions, which are found on the hips, shin and in the area of the feet, can be different.
The main ones are:
- food allergens;
- fungal infections that are transmitted to children from adults through shoes, bed linens and general hygiene items;
- down or wool of domestic animals, as well as clothing made from woolen natural yarn, blankets and pillows;
- substances in the environment, suchas household dust, pollen of plants, synthetic fabric of bed linen and clothes, components of cosmetics, as well as toxic constituents of toys;
- insect bites, transmitting the natural poison of wasps, bees, mosquitoes, characterized by strong allergenic properties and poisoning effect;
- hypothermia that caused a cold allergy, which provokes a sharp temperature drop or improperly selected clothes for the baby during long walks.
Allergy to the sun
Alone ultraviolet acute reaction of the body, as a rule, does not cause. The causes of sun allergy in children are a combination of a number of additional factors, among which:
- taking antibiotics and other medications;
- use of creams, which contain essential oils, for example, caraway, citrus fruits, etc .;
- getting pollen of plants on the skin;
- use of cosmetics containing dyes (eg hygienic lipstick with eosin);
- existing internal diseases;
- use of antiseptics in the form of wet wipes;
- Presence of detergent residues on the skin;
- being in the sun for a long time.
Symptoms of this type of allergy, called photodermatosis, are manifested in a baby in a couple of hours in the form of the following:
- itching and tingling;
- small flaky and flaky skin rashes;
- edema;
- blisters, appearing on sensitive and light skin.
With the available photodermatosis, it is necessary to reduceminimum stay of the child in the sun. Until the disappearance of redness and rash sunbathing baby can not in any case. In order to eliminate itching, parents are recommended to use special products in the form of creams and serums. It is desirable for the baby to wear the closest possible skin clothing.
Definition of provoking factors
How to identify the cause of an allergy in a child? At home, you can do it as efficiently as possible. So, if the baby is not on breastfeeding, the mother will have to revise his diet, trying to replace one mixture with another. During complementary feeding, you will also need to pay attention to the child's reaction to certain foods.
Identify the cause of allergies in older children will helpher mother's food diary. It will be necessary to show attention also to the state of water in the water supply network, and to the quality of the ambient air. In addition, it is necessary to start washing with safe powders, replace cosmetic products, and also more often to produce wet cleaning, to exclude the presence of carpets, old upholstered furniture and pets. If the allergy is not observed, the reason was covered in these factors.
You need to pay attention to the period of manifestation of the disease. If the child suffers from it in the spring or summer, then the reason, most likely, lies in the flowering plants.
Medical diagnostics
When referring to a specialist, the baby will receive a referral for the necessary tests. They and will allow to allocate the allergen which is the reason of a pathology.
The final diagnosis of the child can beto put only after carrying out a complex examination of the whole organism. It is conducted by an allergist doctor, which takes into account the developmental features of the child, his complaints, as well as the conditions of the disease. Only after this the expert makes an appointment for diagnosis.
These can be skin tests. They are carried out by injecting an allergen under the skin with jabs or scratches. This method is painless and allows you to give a hypothetical result. During one procedure it is possible to conduct up to 15 samples. When redness and edema appear, the result is considered positive. Also, a specialist can send a baby for analysis of specific antibodies. This study is capable of establishing a probable group of allergens.
If there are incomprehensible results after theThe first two methods are assigned provocative tests. They are performed when allergens are administered under the tongue, nose and bronchi. The result is revealed during the evaluation of the body's reaction.
To confirm the detected allergen, elimination tests are carried out.