10 facts about pets, allergies and kids
Your child has sneezed again. That was number 26 for the day and you’re beginning to get a bit desperate. You are hesitant to put your child on medication permanently, but something has to be done.But before you do anything drastic, try and find out what it is that’s triggering this allergic reaction. Could it be pollution, your pets, house dust? And, more importantly, what can you do about these?
- Apart from animal dander, the other major allergens include grass, tree and weed pollens, moulds, mites, cigarette smoke, drug allergies, venoms, insects and parasites.
- Signs that your child may have an allergy include red, itchy eyes, repeated sneezing, runny nose, dark rings under the eyes, a crease across the bridge of the nose, and coughing and wheezing.
- An allergy is an abnormal sensitivity or reaction of your immune system to a substance (an allergen) that you eat, inhale or touch. Non-allergic people can usually tolerate this substance.
- Allergies seem to be on the increase, with some people saying it’s the environment that’s getting dirtier, and others saying that children’s homes are getting to be too germ-free, which could mean they are not building up any immunity against allergens. read more
