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Saturday, March 25, 2006
Clearing up some allergy confusion
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I’m sitting in the drop-off line at my kids’ preschool hoping like crazy that no one notices the snot dripping from my son’s nose. I dosed him with Benadryl this morning to halt the tell-tale line of clear liquid inching down his upper lip. It’s not green and he doesn’t have a fever so, according to my rudimentary understanding of medicine, he’s not sick. I think — I hope — it’s just allergies.
Up to 20 percent of children are affected by allergies of some type, says Dr. Keith Phillips, an associate professor of Pediatrics at Emory University School of Medicine and a specialist in allergy and immunology.
He took some time to answer some of our allergy questions. Here’s what we learned:
Q. What are the best ways to tell the difference between a seasonal allergy and a cold?
A. One of the best discriminating symptoms is allergy itches. You have nasal itching, and frequently itching of the eyes. The child may rub the nose and eyes vigorously and often have not just sneezing, but short bursts of sneezing. Allergy has no associated fever. Drainage from the nose should be clear. All of the other symptoms — congestion, sniffling, nose blowing, red eyes, even sore throat, can be seen with either allergy or infection.
Q. Will the lymph nodes swell if it is just an allergy?
A. Lymph nodes, particularly in the front of the neck, are often fairly prominent in allergic children. These lymph nodes, however, should not be tender or cause discomfort. [However, the] sudden appearance of tender nodes in the neck or any other body area is usually due to a regional infection.
Q. Do allergy seasons affect asthma?
A. Yes, but only if allergy is a triggering factor for a child’s asthma. Allergy plays a role in up to 80 percent of children over age 3 who have asthma.
Q. Does having pets, such as a cat or dog, during a child’s infancy affect his chances of developing an allergy to that animal?
A. A theory states that low allergen exposure in the first year of life actually promotes development of the allergic state.
Q. So, should we let them be exposed to the dog and cat?
A. Despite these general observations, many children become intensely sensitive to animals despite considerable exposure to pets in the first year of life. My feeling at present is it’s probably best to avoid indoor pets if there is a family history of allergy.
Q. What is the best way to treat allergies?
A. If possible, the best way to treat allergy is to avoid your child’s triggering factors. If they’re sensitive to food, these are recognizable and avoidable. With house dust mites and animal allergens, avoidance also can be very helpful. What you can do about reducing pollen or mold exposure, on the other hand, is relatively limited. The second step, if the first is not successful or practical, is a well-designed, safe, well-tolerated medication program.
Q. If a child is constantly on Claritin or Zyrtec, can that hurt his liver?
A. Overall, the safety of the medicines we employ in treating childhood allergy are excellent.
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