Allergies can negatively impact children’s daily lives and even school performance, but treatment options are available.
Allergies in children are increasingly common.[1] Allergies come in many forms, including food allergies, eczema, environmental allergies, some of which may be seasonal.[2] When it comes to environmental allergies, at least 20 per cent of Canadians suffer from these to some degree.[3]
Common allergens in children include pollen, animal dander, house dust mites, mold, certain foods, insect bites and stings, and medications.[4] Allergies are the result of an overactive immune system, which tries to fight otherwise harmless substances, resulting in allergy symptoms.[5] Depending on the allergen that triggers environmental allergies, allergic rhinitis symptoms can include a runny or stuffy nose; itching of the nose, eyes, or roof of the mouth; watery, red, or swollen eyes; sneezing and sinus pressure; and congestion.[6],[7] It’s not surprising, then, that allergies can greatly impact kids’ daily life, including school performance.[8]
Getting Help
Fortunately, treatment options are available.[9] The first step is to get your child diagnosed. Communicate your child’s symptoms and their frequency and severity clearly to your doctor to ensure an accurate diagnosis and to get your child the appropriate care for their specific allergy, whether that’s non-medication approaches such as avoidance, or medication such as antihistamines or retraining the immune system with allergy immunotherapy, which is available as traditional allergy shots or tablets placed under the tongue (sublingual), that melt quickly so they can be absorbed by the tissue in this area before directly passing into the bloodstream.[10]
Every parent wants their child to be healthy and happy. You may worry that your kid’s allergy undermines those goals. It doesn’t have to. If you think your child might have allergies, or if their current allergy treatment isn’t working, ask for help.
Better Understanding Allergy Immunotherapy’s Two Forms
There are three main allergy management options for children: avoidance, symptom relief medications, and allergy immunotherapy.[11]
Allergy immunotherapy is useful because it targets allergies’ source.[12] It works by giving repeated, tiny doses of an allergen, teaching the immune system that the allergen isn’t harmful.[13] This can help your child become less sensitive to the allergen.[14]
ALLERGY IMMUNOTHERAPY COMES IN TWO FORMS
1
Traditional
allergy shots
Also known as subcutaneous immunotherapy, traditional allergy shots can be used for a variety of allergies and require going to the doctor as often as once per week.[16]
2
