Health and lifestyle
Living with allergy
With More than 40% of the UK’s children suffering from allergic disease, what can parents do to help their child recognise and deal with their symptoms?
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The term alergy is used to describe a response within the body to a substance that is not necessarily harmful in itself, but results in an immune response and a reaction that causes symptoms and disease in a predisposed person. This can cause anything from a runny nose and itchy eyes, to extreme disability and sometimes even fatality.
An allergy aggravates the sense of smell, sight, taste and touch, causing irritation. It occurs when the body’s immune system overreacts to normally harmless substances. Allergy is widespread and affects approximately one in four of the population in the UK at some time in their lives. Each year the numbers are increasing by 5% with as many as half of all those affected being children.
What causes an allergy?
Allergic reactions are caused by substances in the environment known as allergens. Almost anything can be an allergen for someone.
The most common allergens are:
- pollen from trees and grasses
- house dust mite, moulds
- pets such as cats and dogs
- insects like wasps and bees
- industrial and household chemicals
- medicines
- foods such as milk and eggs
Less common allergens include nuts, fruit and latex.
An allergic person’s immune system believes allergens to be damaging and so produces a special type of antibody (IgE) to attack the invading material. This leads other blood cells to release further chemicals (including histamine) which together cause the symptoms of an allergic reaction. The most common symptoms are:
- sneezing
- runny nose
- itchy eyes and ears
- severe wheezing
- coughing
- shortness of breath
- sinus problems
- a sore palate
- nettle-like rash
The symptoms mentioned can be caused by factors other than allergy. Indeed, some of the conditions are diseases in themselves. Allergy UK is aiming to stop the social exclusion of children with allergies with its Blossom Campaign, which provides information, advice and support for carers – whether parents, child minders, teachers or voluntary group leaders.
“Sadly we hear repeatedly of children with allergy being denied the opportunity to take part in activities that other children take for granted,” says Muriel Simmons, Chief Executive of Allergy UK. “Understanding allergy and its management is the key. By providing good advice tailored for the specific area of care, children with allergies will be able to partake in everyday social activities.”
 Pollen is one of the most common causes of allergic reactions |
The Blossom Campaign seeks to raise awareness of the impact of childhood allergy and what can be done to support parents and healthcare professionals in the battle to achieve faster diagnosis. An important part of the project is helping families and new and expectant parents to access sound information on how they can help their child.
“This is a worrying time when families are desperately seeking information, especially those who have a history of allergy in the family,” says Lindsey McManus, Director of the Blossom Campaign. “Being well informed is very reassuring and the Blossom Campaign is invaluable to parents and healthcare professionals to ensure they have the very latest thinking in the management of potential and actual allergy.”
For more information, visit: www.blossomcampaign.org
HOW YOU CAN HELP YOUR CHILD COPE WITH ALLERGY The best way to cope with allergy on a daily basis is to reduce or eliminate exposure to allergens. That means that parents must educate their kids early and often, not only about the allergy itself, but also about what reaction they will have if they consume or come into contact with the offending allergen. Learn to read food labels and don’t be afraid to ask what is in a meal when eating out. Informing teachers, childminders, and so on about your child’s allergy is equally important to help keep allergy symptoms to a minimum. To help your child avoid airborne allergens:
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