Does Your Child Have Allergies?
This is a particularly interesting post to me. Birch has been diagnosed as “possibly having allergies”. It started with his constant blinking. At first, we thought it was an attention-getting measure, but he did it even when we weren’t looking. Then his eyes started watering all the time. We took him to an opthamologist who diagnosed it as “possible allergies” and prescribed Patanol. (See Dr. Gilgoff’s reference to it below). I was interested to read Dr. Gilgoff ‘s advice to use Patanol “as needed”. I am so relieved that we don’t have to pin Birch down every night for his drops. It has been torture for all of us! If Birch’s symptoms don’t disappear in 3 months, we are supposed to go back and consider his far-sightedness as the possible cause. Honestly, I hope it isn’t allergies. I have had them all my life, and can’t seem to make it through a season without Claritin, nasal spray and eye drops. Ugh!
Allergy Season is Here!
by Dr. Gilgoff
Achoo!!! Indeed, it’s that time of the year once again. The flowers are blooming and the pollen count is rising. Every year around this time we have a flood of “sick visits” – kids who are sincerely suffering with seasonal allergy symptoms.
Allergies can actually present at a young age although usually not before 6 months. Why they don’t start earlier is interesting, but it often takes repeated exposure to an allergen before you see a reaction. In addition, the mechanisms of inflammation in the body are not fully developed in a newborn.
Allergies often run in a family, and sometimes they are signs of a “sensitive” or atopic child in general. Quite often a child may have sensitive skin, or eczema and some allergic kids have asthma as well.
Symptoms and Signs of Allergies
The severity of allergies can be anywhere from mild to severe, and they can indeed mimic other disease processes. The eyes are usually itchy and mildly red, but there is usually NOT Read More »Does Your Child Have Allergies?
