One in four children has kid allergies. Common child allergy symptoms include:
Kid allergies are often inherited. If both parents have allergies, a child has a 75 percent chance of having allergies, too. Even babies can have allergies. Fortunately, many grow out of child allergies in time, but managing them in the meantime can be difficult.
Managing Child Allergies
Consult your doctor if your child is experiencing kids allergy symptoms. He or she can prescribe medications such as antihistamines for hay fever, inhaled steroids for asthma, and skin creams for eczema and hives.
Some medications can have side effects.
If a child experiences severe allergy symptoms or if their symptoms persist for several months of the year, allergy immunotherapy may be a good option, because it can address the allergic disease—not just its symptoms—for long-term relief. Immunotherapy exposes the body to common allergens so that it can become desensitized to them and stop overreacting when it encounters them in the environment.
Immunotherapy is usually administered in two ways—through allergy shots or under-the tongue allergy drops (sublingual immunotherapy) that absorb into the bloodstream through special cells in the mouth. Allergy shots have to be administered at the doctor’s office (due to risk of anaphylactic reaction) and are often not recommended until a child turns seven years old. Allergy drops have been shown to be safe for children under five. Because they are safer than shots, kids can take their allergy drops at home.
America’s Best Care Plus offers allergy drops for kids.