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Learn more about common allergic diseases, symptoms, management paradigms, and testing considerations.
Is your patient a candidate for specific IgE testing?
Get detailed information on whole allergens and allergen components.
Ready to test a patient?
Access videos and webinars delivered by key experts in the field of allergy.
January 2024
Along with the sunshine, outdoor activities, family time, and farewell to short days, come spring allergies (also known as hay fever). And they hit hard for many, especially children. Depending on the specific research study and the location where the study is done, allergic rhinitis has been reported in 5%–50% of the global population and is more common in children.1
Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) revealed that 27.2% of all children in the United States had one or more allergic conditions: 18.9% of children had a seasonal allergy, 10.8% had eczema, and 5.8% had a food allergy.2
Children with allergic conditions may have decreased quality of life, increased healthcare use, and some food allergies can be life-threatening.2
So, what’s a parent to do? Fortunately, keeping your kids safe this spring allergy season can be easy. Follow the 1, 2, 3 rule:
It can be hard to tell what is causing allergy symptoms in a child (or an adult, for that matter), or even identify common allergy symptoms to begin with. Let’s start with the basics, and focus on spring allergies, food allergies, and indoor allergies.
If a child is experiencing wheezing and shortness of breath in addition to the symptoms above, allergies may be triggering asthma.
In addition, symptoms such as sleep disturbance and daily fatigue, along with inappropriate use of antihistamines, can result in impaired performance at school and work.¹
Adolescents allergic to certain foods can many times experience poorer overall health, more limitations in social activities, and less vitality than individuals from the general population.3
More than 80% of children with asthma are sensitized to at least one indoor allergen.4
Not surprisingly, children and adults share many of the same common allergy triggers. For kids, be on the lookout for:5
You can take a deeper dive into these allergy types and many more by visiting our Allergen Fact Sheets, which provide answers to frequently asked questions about the most common allergy triggers.
If you suspect your child is allergic, the first course of action is to get them tested. Depending on which type of allergy is at play, there are a few testing options available. For our purposes, we are going to focus on what’s known as allergy-related immune system reactions. Simply put, this happens when the immunoglobulin E (specific IgE) antibodies in your immune system recognize an otherwise harmless food, such as eggs, as a threat. 6
Since we mentioned eggs, let’s start with food allergies.
Diagnosing food allergy starts with:7
During the medical history, your healthcare provider will want to know things like the types of food you suspect may be triggering an allergic reaction, the kinds of symptoms you’re noticing, and even the times of day you see changes in your child’s behavior. The goal is to identify the foods that may be responsible for the allergy.7
The information gathered in this history can then be used to guide testing decisions and interpretation of results. From there, your healthcare provider will determine next steps, which could include an oral food challenge (OFC) or specific IgE test (there’s that science term again), which could be in the form of a skin-prick test or blood test. Read more about testing options to help diagnose food allergies here.
Specific IgE tests, also known as an allergen sensitization test, is a powerful allergy diagnostic tool that measures the concentration of specific IgE antibodies in the blood. It can test for hundreds of allergic triggers, including the triggers children are most likely to be sensitized to.
The simple answer here is as soon as you notice allergy symptoms. The sooner you can identify your child’s allergic triggers, the sooner you can work to reduce their exposure to them, develop a treatment plan, and improve their quality of life (and yours). We’ve outlined a lot that you need to know about your allergy testing options and how to get an allergen sensitization test.
Allergies can’t be cured, but symptoms can be reduced. The best way to reduce symptoms is by adopting what’s called exposure reduction methods. Remember those Allergen Fact Sheets from before? Each fact sheet includes a section devoted to exposure reduction that covers specific guidelines on how to decrease triggers and thus reduce the likelihood of symptoms.
To round out our 101 approach, here’s an overview of exposure reduction tips for spring allergies, indoor/year-round allergies, and food allergies:
As the saying goes, it takes a village to raise a child. From parents and caregivers to schoolteachers and healthcare providers, managing allergies for children of any age requires awareness, information, and diligence. Every allergy journey should start with a conversation with your healthcare provider, especially when symptoms appear severe.
Equipped with the knowledge about your child’s allergic triggers and how to avoid them, you’ll be empowered to take on whatever adventure is right around the corner.
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