Treatment of allergies in children

Treatment of allergies in children should be preceded by complex diagnostic measures, because any therapy for a child’s body has its own specifics and should be carefully adjusted.

Treatment is usually based on a preliminary medical history and diagnostic information. Therapeutic measures include the safest means that have minimal side effects. It should also be noted that any doctor's recommendations must be strictly followed even during the period of allergic "calm". Regardless of how soon recovery occurs, it is worth remembering about the possible sensitization of the body to specific allergens, such a property of the body can last for years. There are frequent cases of relapses of long-forgotten allergies that first manifested themselves in distant childhood. Therapeutic prescriptions are based on the type of allergy, the child's health condition and the presence of possible concomitant diseases.

Treatment of allergies in children: hypoallergenic diet

Treatment of allergies in children usually begins with the exclusion of allergen-provoking products, even if the allergy is not food. Long-term adherence to a hypoallergenic diet prescribed by a pediatrician or allergist is recommended. Direct allergens, as well as obligatory food substances, are excluded from the diet. The list of obligatory products is known to many today. Such dubious fame in recent decades has been acquired by previously more familiar and safe fish and eggs, soy and legumes, nuts and honey. Allergies aggressively attack all of humanity, not choosing people by age. Considering that the child's body does not yet have age-hardened protective properties, its organs and systems are only forming, many children become targets for all types of allergies. Therefore, even with an allergy of non-food etiology, it is worth taking preventive measures and minimizing the risks. The elimination of harmful or provoking products from the diet of children should be at least long-term, at most - complete. It is important to stick to a diet not only at home, but also to monitor compliance with hypoallergenic nutrition in those institutions and places that the child visits. Kindergarten, school, visiting relatives, friends - wherever the child eats, his diet should be controlled. Such harsh and strict recommendations will not be superfluous, because sometimes the results of a year of therapy are destroyed by one piece of sea fish or a spoonful of seemingly healthy honey. You should also be careful with products containing dyes, especially insidious is yellow - tertrazine. It is often included in confectionery, bakery products, there is a lot of it in industrially produced fruit juices. If a child is prescribed a hypoallergenic diet, it is necessary to take vitamin complexes that include minerals.

Treatment of allergies in children: "hypoallergenic life"

Treatment of allergies in children also includes the concept of "hypoallergenic living". Dust of all kinds - from simple household dust to feather dust, pet hair, cigarette smoke, aromatic substances - this is far from an accurate and complete list of possible allergens. Regular wet cleaning and airing should become the norm in a home where a child suffering from allergies lives. Carpets, no matter how beautiful they are, being made of synthetic materials, are a strong allergen trigger. As a rule, a child plays sitting on the floor, babies crawl on the floor, and so on. Thus, they come into contact with synthetics much more often, and the contact area is also larger than that of adults. It is better to vacuum both carpets and the entire area of the house with a special vacuum cleaner with a humidity function. You should also treat bookcases and regularly wipe books, which are an excellent repository for dust allergens. It is advisable to replace bed linen, mattresses, blankets and pillows with hypoallergenic, natural ones. Soft toys should either be constantly treated or excluded from the child's play set. As for pets - cats and dogs, here you need to find a reasonable compromise solution. Getting rid of an animal is easy, but for a child, and for other family members, this can be a lot of stress. And stress is also a trigger for various allergic reactions. Indoor flowers can also be a source of allergies. In this case, replacing them with safe ones is easier than losing a pet cat.

Drug treatment of allergies in children

Treatment of allergies in children is often accompanied not only by elimination (exclusion) measures, but also by drug therapy. Any antihistamine is prescribed to a child with caution, the selection is carried out taking into account anamnestic information and possible side effects. Today, the pharmaceutical industry offers many new generation drugs that either have no contraindications at all, or they are minimal. Such drugs give a fairly quick result, the therapeutic effect lasts a long time, there is no addiction to them. Children can be prescribed sorbent drugs, such as Enterosgel, activated carbon, Smecta. In combination with sorbents, it is advisable to prescribe enzymes that can help the enzymatic function of the intestine. Third-generation antihistamines are available in tablet form, as well as in drops and syrups. The liquid form is very convenient for treating children, the drug is better and faster absorbed, which means the therapeutic effect also occurs faster. Glucocorticoids are used much less frequently in the treatment of childhood allergies; they have a lot of contraindications, but in exceptional cases their prescription saves not only the child's health, but also his life. Specific immunotherapy is prescribed to children over five years of age according to indications confirmed by an immunofermentogram and skin tests.

Treatment of allergies in children is a long but effective process. If treatment begins in a timely manner, sensitization does not become established and later, after recovery, the growing child already has the ability to cope with allergies using his own body.