Allergy

Allergies

Allergy is a disorder of the immune system. Allergic reactions occur to environmental substances known as allergens. These reactions are acquired, predictable and rapid.

Strictly, allergy is one of four forms of hypersensitivity. It is characterized by excessive activation of certain cells resulting in an extreme inflammatory response. Common allergic reactions include eczema, hives, hay fever, asthma, food allergies, and reactions to the venom of stinging insects such as wasps and bees.

How can I protect my toddler from allergens?
Here are the best ways to reduce your toddler's exposure
to the most common allergens.

Dust mites

Dust mites live in fabrics and carpets and are common in every room of the house. But children are usually exposed to the most dust mites in the bedroom, where mattresses and pillows are veritable dust-mite condominiums.

The following steps may seem like a lot of work, but they really help. "Parents who take these steps might expect a 60 to 70 percent rate of improvement in their child's allergies," says Virant, "and this should markedly cut down the level of medication needed for the problem."

• Encase your toddler's mattress in an impenetrable cover made of very tightly woven fabric, found at allergy supply stores. Unlike vinyl covers, these provide a barrier that's breathable and not crinkly. Avoid big, fluffy comforters and use blankets instead.

• Wash bedding once a week in hot water to kill dust mites. Set your water heater to about 130 degrees Fahrenheit before laundering bedding, and warn family members that the water will be hotter than usual.

Be sure to turn the water heater back down (to about 120 to 125 degrees) afterward so family members won't scald themselves when they wash their hands or shower.

• Avoid piling up stuffed animals in your child's room — they're dust-mite magnets. Wash the few favorites your toddler can't live without in hot water weekly or stick them in the freezer for an overnight killing frost.

• Dust and vacuum weekly or every other week, but make sure your child isn't in the room when you do it. Dusting and vacuuming stir up residual dust-mite particles in the room. Wet mopping can help prevent this.

• Consider investing in a vacuum cleaner with a HEPA (high efficiency particulate arresting) filter, which traps even microscopic particles that pass right through ordinary vacuum cleaners.

• If your toddler has a severe dust mite allergy, consider replacing carpeting with a smooth floor like hardwood or vinyl.

• Clean or replace filters on your furnace and air conditioners monthly during seasons they're in use. Have heating ducts cleaned each fall.

Pet Dander

If your child is allergic to a pet, the only foolproof solution is to give the animal away. That's not an easy decision to make, of course, and, understandably, you'll want to consider it only as a last resort.

To keep the dander down, wash your pet frequently. You can find shampoos that reduce dander in the pet store. Also keep your pet off the furniture and out of your toddler's room.

Mold

Use a dehumidifier and air conditioner when the weather is warm and moist, especially in a wet basement or other areas of your home where mold growth is a problem.

If your bathroom is a mold factory, clean it regularly with mold-inhibiting disinfectants, such as a little bleach and water or a natural solution like tea tree oil and water. And consider investing in a better ventilation system.

Mold can often be found growing in closets, attics, cellars, planters, refrigerators, shower stalls, and garbage cans and under carpets. Even a fake Christmas tree can harbor mold.

Click here for the article.

How can I tell if my toddler has nasal allergies or just a cold?
Because the symptoms of nasal allergies are much like cold symptoms — runny nose, watery eyes, cough, nasal congestion, sneezing — it can be tough to tell the difference. There are some telltale signs of allergies, though. Ask yourself the following questions:

• Does it seem like your toddler always has a cold? Colds usually wind down in a week to ten days; allergies don't.
• Is your toddler's nose always stuffy or running?
• Is she constantly wiggling, wiping, or pushing her nose up in what doctors call the allergic salute?
• Is the mucus that drains from her nose clear and thin (as opposed to yellow or greenish and thick)?
• Does she seem to sneeze a lot?
• Are her eyes itchy, red, and watery?
• Does the skin under her eyes look dark or purple or blue — what doctors call allergic shiners?
• Does she breathe through her mouth?
• Does she have a dry cough?
• Is her skin irritated or broken out in an itchy red rash?

If you answered yes to one or more of these questions, there's a good chance your toddler is allergic to something in her environment. Kids with nasal allergies are also more prone to ear infections, asthma, and sinus infections.

Click here for the article.

AAAAI Allergy & Asthma Medication Guide

Allergic Emergency Medication List

Allergy and Asthma Drug Guide
The AAAAI's newly updated drug guide features key information about medications commonly used to treat allergies and asthma.