National Panel of Allergists Concludes Parents Play Key Role in Minimizing Impact of Children's Allergies

Early Diagnosis and Proper Treatment Can Significantly Improve a Child's Quality of Life

Source

University of Cincinnati Medical Center

Forums

Related Articles

Products in Our Store

advertisement

At a recent conference sponsored by the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, nationally recognized pediatric allergists met to determine how to ensure pediatric allergies are diagnosed early and treated properly. Pediatric allergies are a chronic disease affecting more than 20 percent of school-age children. The panel members concluded that parents must take a proactive role in identifying their child's allergy symptoms and in seeking proper treatment. By doing so, parents can ensure a child's physical symptoms are properly managed and quality of life is restored.

Untreated Allergies Can Lead to Serious Health Issues

When a child's allergies are left untreated or mistreated, they can lead to other serious illnesses, including asthma, ear infections, and sinusitis. Often, a child's allergies may be misdiagnosed as a respiratory infection, and may be mistreated with antibiotics. Therefore, early diagnosis and proper treatment of allergies is critical. "Parents need to be aware that if their child is suffering from frequent ear infections, sinusitis, or even asthma, allergies can be the cause," said Thomas Fischer, MD, professor of clinical pediatrics at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine and panel chairman.

Allergies Cause 10,000 Children to Miss School Each Day

Allergies can take a toll on school learning. According to the National Institutes of Health, allergies account for 2 million missed school days per year, and on any given day, more than 10,000 children are absent from school because of allergies. The physical symptoms of allergies (sneezing, runny nose, watery eyes, itchy palate) can cause children to have limited attention spans, decreased ability to concentrate, fatigue, irritability, and cognitive impairment, all of which can compromise a child's performance in school.

Allergies alone can affect learning and school performance. In addition, some treatments of allergies can further exacerbate the unfavorable effects of allergies on a child's school performance. For example, treating allergies with medications that make children drowsy, such as an over-the-counter antihistamine, can make it more difficult for a child to stay awake in school. Furthermore, the congestion associated with allergies often times can make it difficult for a child to get a good night's sleep, leaving them tired and not at their best. "The adverse effects of mistreated or untreated allergies on school performance clearly underscore the importance of proper treatment," said Fischer.

Allergies Can Have a Major Impact on a Child's Quality of Life

While the consequences that allergies have on school performance may seem apparent, allergies also can cause children to suffer emotional issues that can seriously impact quality of life. The panel concluded that the physical symptoms can leave children feeling fatigued, irritable, moody, and even depressed. In addition, constant red noses, sniffling, and watery eyes can leave a child feeling self-conscious about his or her appearance. Often, other children will tease an allergic child about their symptoms, increasing feelings of isolation and self-consciousness. Constant nose blowing and sniffling brings additional unwanted attention.

Does Your Child Have Allergies?

Early diagnosis and treatment of allergies is critical. Parents can play an important role in determining if their child has allergies. There are a number of relevant questions parents can ask themselves to help detect whether their child may be suffering from allergies. Questions include:

• Is your child suffering from what appears to be frequent colds?

• Is your child experiencing cough, nasal congestion, runny nose, grunting noises, fatigue, headache, irritability, restlessness, frustration, or insomnia on a regular basis?

• Do these symptoms occur during certain times of the year?

• Does your child breathe through his/her mouth?

• Has your child experienced other respiratory problems or symptoms? Sinus problems? Ear infections? Frequent respiratory infections? Asthma or other lung symptoms?

• How does the condition interfere with your child's ability to function on a daily basis? Performance or learning deficits at school? Interpersonal relations?

• Has your child been playing well? Sleeping well?

How Can Parents Help Their Child?

Treatment Options

There are multiple ways to treat allergies. A doctor can recommend a course of treatment best suited to each child's individual symptoms. Once a course of treatment is recommended, adherence to the treatment plan is essential in order for the child's allergy symptoms to improve. Treatments may include:

• Oral antihistamines

• Oral and nasal decongestants

• Sodium cromolyn nasal spray

• Nasal corticosteroid sprays

• Immunotherapy (allergy shots)

The most common pediatric allergy treatments are antihistamines, available by prescription and over-the-counter (OTC). Often, parents try to treat their child's allergy symptoms with OTC antihistamines. However, while convenient, all OTC antihistamines can cause drowsiness, which can further impair a child's quality of life and school performance. There are other options, including prescription nonsedating antihistamines, which will not make children drowsy. "The panel urges parents to see a doctor for proper diagnosis and appropriate treatment for their child," said Fischer. "Allergy symptoms can be exacerbated if allergies are untreated or mistreated with medications that make children drowsy."

Environmental Steps

There are a number of environmental steps parents can also take to help their children avoid allergy triggers. These include:

• Keep windows closed to reduce pollen in the house;

• Shower or bathe your child following exposure to allergens;

• Decorate rooms with simple furnishings and without carpet to avoid dust mites;

• Wash bedclothes in hot water to kill dust mites;

• Ideally, remove pets from the home or confine them as much as possible to non-carpeted areas to avoid animal dander;

• Help teachers, day-care providers, and family members understand the toll allergies can take on your child: he or she may be irritable, tired, unable to fully concentrate in school, and may not feel like interacting with others.

Although avoiding allergens is an effective way to manage a child's allergies, limiting their exposure to allergens is not always practical or possible. Despite every effort, it is inevitable that your child will be exposed to allergens, which is why it is important to use an allergy medication appropriate for children in addition to avoiding allergens as much as possible.

Panel Members

The panel included experts in the area of pediatric allergies.

Thomas J. Fischer, MD, Panel Chairman; Professor of Clinical Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati, College of Medicine; Director, Allergy and Immunology, Group Health Associates

Michael S. Blaiss, MD; Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Associate Professor of Medicine, Division of Clinical Immunology, University of Tennessee, Memphis

William J. Davis, MD; Professor of Clinical Pediatrics, Columbia University; Director of Pediatric Allergy and Immunology, Babies and Children's Hospital, New York City

William K. Dolen, MD; Associate Professor, Pediatrics and Medicine, Medical College of Georgia

Robert W. Eitches, MD; Assistant Clinical Professor, Department of Pediatrics UCLA School of Medicine

Cynthia Lerner, MD; Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Northwestern University Medical School, Chicago

M. Colleen Lum Lung, RN, MSN, CPNP; Clinical Faculty, University of Colorado School of Nursing; Pediatric Pulmonary Practitioner, Healthcare Innovations LLC

Jay Selcow, MD; Associate Clinical Professor of Pediatrics, University of Connecticut School of Medicine; Connecticut Asthma and Allergy Center

Susan Wynn, MD; Fort Worth Allergy and Asthma Associates

The Pediatric Allergy Collaborative is sponsored by the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine and is supported by an unrestricted educational grant from Schering Laboratories.

CONTACT: Sheryl Hilton of the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, 513-558-4553, or sheryl.hilton@uc.edu; or Elizabeth Parish of Edelman PR Worldwide, 212-704-4439, or elizabeth_parish@edelman.com, for the University of Cincinnati Medical Center