When you first bring your little one home from the hospital, you want nothing but the best for them in life. Your job as a parent is to love them, support them, protect them, and care for them, and the last thing you want to think about is any health issues or challenges. So, what happens when health issues do arise? It’s the normal parental instinct to feel scared, alarmed, confused, and want to do all you can for your child, but with the proper steps, often you can do just that.
One health issue that may start to present itself either from a young age, or as your child grows, is allergies. While some are obviously quite serious and can result in a life and death health scare, we are focusing on just the mild to moderate ones. This is typically brought on by environmental allergies. If you’re worried your child may have some allergies and you’re not sure what you should be doing about it, here are the steps you’ll want to take.
Know the Symptoms to Watch For
Before you make the assumption that your child ‘must’ have allergies, it’s a good idea to be aware of what symptoms you should be watching for. Some of the most common ones include a reaction after eating a particular food or ingredient, eczema on the skin, asthma, or hay fever (this includes itchy, watery eyes, a runny nose, sneezing, and congestion).
Because it can be hard to keep track of symptoms, when they occurred, how severe they were, and how long they lasted, it can also be helpful to keep a symptom journal for a short time. This information can prove to be extremely helpful when you take them in to see a doctor.
Book an Appointment with a Pediatrician
The next step will be to find the best pediatrician in your area and book an appointment. It’s hard to create a treatment plan if you don’t know for sure if they have allergies, and what their triggers are. It’s also important that you ensure that the pediatrician you choose is well-versed in allergies in children, and has experience treating them.
Take for example Katy Memorial Pediatrics, in Katy, TX. They are able to perform all the necessary allergy tests to not only check if your child has allergies, but to also identify what their allergies are and how mild-severe they are.
Now, keep in mind that allergy testing can only be done on kids aged five and older. If they are younger than that, the pediatrician will be able to consult with you on the best approach.
Forming a Treatment Plan
Now that your child’s allergies have been identified, creating a treatment plan is much easier. It may be necessary for them to take medicine or even have allergy shots on a regular basis, depending on the allergy, the severity, and your lifestyle.
Outside of medicine, there also tends to be lifestyle changes that you’ll need to make. It could be that you need to remove certain items from the house, limit their outdoor exposure during certain times of the year, keep windows closed during peak allergy times, and stay on top of vacuuming and dusting.
Other tips include – laundering their bedding in hot water at least once a week; using hypoallergenic mattress and pillow covers; limiting how many stuffed animals they sleep with (they tend to be dust collectors); investing in a good quality vacuum with a HEPA filter; keeping the house uncluttered so dust doesn’t build; replacing carpeting with hard surface flooring to cut down on dander and dust; not having pets if they are allergic to the dander; not allowing anyone to smoke in the home; and changing up your cleaning, hygiene, and washing machine products to those that are for sensitive skin. Artificial scents, chemicals, and harsh ingredients tend to be especially hard on those with allergies.
If it is environmental or seasonal allergies your child is suffering from, the good news is that these don’t tend to be all year long. Many of them spike for a couple of weeks a few times a year, so it’s a matter of managing those times.
Teach Your Child About their Allergies
It’s also a good idea to teach your child about their allergies, since they will ultimately be the ones in control of their health and wellbeing as they get older. Educate them on what they are allergic to, how to reduce and even eliminate triggers, how to deal with reactions when they occur, and about the importance of keeping up with medication if prescribed.
Having allergies can certainly be an inconvenience, but as long as it isn’t a severe allergy, then they are quite tolerable and can be dealt with in a number of ways.
