As a dad, the health of your child is the most important thing. It is normal for any underlying health conditions to be picked up and diagnosed early on, and you will be given advice and medication to help your child deal with these conditions. However, a common underlying health problem that many of us must face in our lifetime is an allergy.
Adults and children with allergy
I have an allergy to many things (even towards some people sometimes) as a grown-up. But when I saw some reactions appearing for my three-year-old, I wanted to dig deeper into this topic.
Some allergies can be quite dangerous if not treated properly, and it is likely that your child will not receive a diagnosis until they experience their first reaction. However, there are some allergies that are far more subtle.
You will need to know about all the common signs that come with a mild allergy attack so that you can be prepared if it happens. Keep reading to learn more.
Watery Eyes
A mild symptom of an allergy attack is watery or itchy eyes. An allergy is your body over-reacting to a substance in an effort to protect your body from something it perceives as poisonous. Therefore, it is normal for your immune system to release a chemical known as histamine, which is secreted out through the tear ducts. As a result, your child may experience red, swollen, or watery eyes when they encounter something they are allergic to.
This reaction will cause your child some discomfort, but it will pass with time. If you notice that your child has watery eyes, you should try to note the object that could have caused this allergy attack.
Sneezing
Sneezing is a symptom that is most associated with hay fever, a mild allergic reaction to the pollen particles in the air. However, your child is just as likely to sneeze in response to any type of allergen.
Again, this reaction is a response to your body’s additional histamine production, which means that sneezing will often accompany watery eyes. While it is normal for your child to sneeze, an allergic reaction will cause them to sneeze in a sequence of two, three, or more bursts until the allergen is removed.
Rash/Hives
An allergic reaction may not affect your child’s senses at all, and the signs may only appear on their skin in the form of a rash. Any rash that you cannot explain should be cause for concern; however, allergy rashes are noticeable by their extreme redness.
In some cases, these rashes can turn into a skin condition, known as hives. These are bumpy, tender protrusions that resemble eczema. Hives are a common skin condition that is separated into several different categories, so it is worth researching this condition to find out whether your child has an allergy. However, hives can be extremely itchy, so you must act fast to relieve these symptoms with a cold compress and prescribed medication.
Itchy Mouth
Another response to an influx of histamine in the body is an itching sensation on the roof of the mouth. Unfortunately, young children are not yet articulate enough to describe this sensation, which means that a mild food allergy may go undetected for quite some time.
Some subtle signs will reveal these allergies, one of which is the child’s sudden refusal to eat at all. However, it is also common for an allergy attack to cause the throat to shrink. In extreme cases, this is highly dangerous but with a mild allergy, it is also something you will struggle to spot. If your child is eating slower than normal or isn’t swallowing properly, then they may have a mild allergy to the food they are eating.
Stomach Cramps
An overabundance of any natural bodily chemical is going to have a negative effect on your body after a time. That is why many children will experience a series of stomach cramps when there is too much histamine in their bloodstream.
Your stomach muscles are some of the most sensitive in the body, which means that they are often the first to react under stress. The surplus of histamine in your body during an allergic reaction is considered a danger to your stomach. Therefore, the muscles will cramp to prevent them from entering the digestive tract.
If your child is experiencing a tummy ache, they may well be having an allergic reaction without you knowing. Again, try to monitor what they eat in the future to narrow down the possibilities of a food allergy. What’s more, these muscles can sometimes seize up so much that they cause vomiting. Make sure you document this as the behavior may be the result of something more serious than your average stomach bug.
Conclusion
As you can probably tell, a lot of the mild allergy symptoms can be confused with other childhood ailments. However, if your child experiences more than one of these symptoms at a time, it may signify that they have an allergy. If you are ever unsure about any illness, no matter how mild, then you should speak with your doctor about how to proceed.