Kids' Allergy Symptoms: Understanding Your Child’s Allergies

By the time we reach adulthood, we’re well acquainted with mild allergic reactions. Stuffy noses, sore throats, and itchiness on the skin are frustrating but manageable symptoms that we’ve come to expect when pollen counts are high or when we spend too long in a dusty room.

But kids are new to allergic reactions and they may display allergy symptoms that are more intense than you might expect. This guide will break down the common symptoms of children’s allergies and help you identify allergy symptoms quickly. That way, you’ll be able to give your child the right medicine and make sure they are taken care of ASAP.

Allergies in a Nutshell

Although allergies sometimes produce similar symptoms to illnesses, they’re completely different in what’s going on in the body. Allergies occur when the body's immune system overreacts to a potential intrusion. In many cases, the immune system detects an allergen, assumes it to be a virus or threat, and kicks off several biological countermeasures to fight back.

Allergens are usually harmless in and of themselves. But the allergens that cause allergic reactions can be dangerous if they make the immune system overreact too far.

When the immune system detects an allergy that it mistakes as a dangerous virus, it produces antibodies called immunoglobulin E, or IgE. The antibodies attract the allergens, causing a chain reaction that leads to the body’s tissue being irritated.

In both kids and adults, many allergic reactions lead to asthmatic or cold-like symptoms, including coughs, wheezes, dripping noses, and even tightening of the throat in severe reactions.

In the most dangerous cases, allergic reactions can seriously affect the respiratory system or even the entire body and lead to serious medical risks.

Allergy Symptoms in Children

Children usually experience the same kinds of allergic reactions and symptoms as adults. But sometimes, these reactions affect children more dramatically and can be more dangerous due to their still-developing immune systems.

Most kids will experience common allergy symptoms like:

• Stuffy or runny noses, which can also lead to coughing as a side effect of mucus overproduction
• Red, watery and itchy eyes
• Red and itchy skin
• Hives on patches of the skin
• Asthmatic symptoms, including coughing, wheezing, and shortness of breath

If a child is exposed to a particularly dangerous allergen, or they are allergic to a specific compound, they may go into anaphylaxis, which can be a life-threatening allergic reaction. The symptoms of anaphylaxis include breathing difficulties – such as fast, shallow breathing, wheezing, swelling of the lips, a fast heartbeat, confusion, or losing consciousness.

If your child shows the signs of anaphylaxis, seek medical attention immediately instead of pursuing any other remedy.

Allergy Triggers for Children

As with adults, children can experience allergic reactions when they are exposed to a number of common allergens. In most cases, allergic reactions happen when the allergen is inhaled through the air or touches the skin. However, some allergens can also be ingested, leading to particularly dangerous allergic reactions.

The most common allergy triggers for children include:

• Rubber latex, which is common with many children’s toys. Be sure to test out any new toys with your children before giving them toys with rubber latex
• Dust mites
• Tree and flower pollen, which float through the air more frequently in the spring and summer months. Therefore, many children have allergic reactions more often during those seasons which is known as “seasonal allergy”
• Animal dander and fur, especially from dogs and cats
• Feathers
• Bee stings
• Bites from certain insects, like cockroaches and spiders
• Some food such as nuts and sea foods
• Some medicines produce allergic reactions. Speak to your doctor before trying a new medicine with ingredients you aren’t familiar with
  

Do Allergies Affect Some Children Differently?

Yes. While almost all children are often mildly allergic to the common allergens described above, some children are especially vulnerable to anaphylaxis and other severe allergy symptoms.

Allergies are very common in children. But kids are more vulnerable to allergies when they are younger and their immune systems are not fully developed. Their immune systems may kick off overreactions more easily in attempts to defend their bodies.

Additionally, some children are genetically predisposed to be allergic to certain things, such as peanuts, dog or cat fur, and so on. As your child is growing up, watch them carefully when they are exposed to new allergens and track their reactions. This is one of the best ways to see if they are allergic to certain compounds outside of getting allergy testing done.

If you or your family has a history of being allergic to one or more allergens, it’s possible that your child is also allergic to those same issues.

Treating Allergies in Kids

Fortunately, most allergic reactions in kids can be treated quickly and easily. The best way to treat common allergy symptoms is through clean medicines - medicines made without any artificial inactive ingredients that could potentially be allergens themselves. Genexa’s Allergy Care is great homeopathic option for typical allergy symptoms, such as congestion, itchiness, and drowsiness.

Genexa’s medicine is distinct from other brands’ since it only has clean inactive ingredients rather than being packed with unnecessary synthetic additives. Allergy Care uses a handful of active ingredients like sabadilla seed extract, ambrosia artemisiifolia, and more to help relieve allergic reactions in adults and children over the age of 3.

However, medicine is not the only solution to allergic reactions. Parents can also take steps to remove their children from being exposed to the allergens in question. For example, parents should have their kids stay indoors when the ambient pollen count (the concentration of pollen in the air) is high or the weather is windy.

Parents can also take steps to control dust in the home. Regularly dusting their child’s bedroom and other common areas in the house can minimize the likelihood of allergic reactions to dust mites and similar contaminants. Additionally, high-filtration air filters can be helpful to trapping allergens.

Since many mild allergic symptoms are like those experienced with a common cold, remedies for the common cold are also great for treating discomfort. Hot tea and other healthy beverages are excellent examples. Throat lozenges can help with sore throats. A dehumidifier may assist with decongestion and preventing postnasal drip.

What If My Child Has a Serious Allergic Reaction?

While many common allergic symptoms can be taken care of at home, more serious allergic reactions should be dealt with by a trained medical professional. If your child has a serious allergic reaction to allergens like peanuts, hay, dog fur, or anything else, you should take them to a doctor so they can receive treatment immediately.

You’ll then likely need to get specific allergy medication for their needs. Furthermore, if your child has asthma, they may be more susceptible than average to serious allergic reactions. Asthma medication should be a number one priority.

Summary

Ultimately, learning to identify and treat the allergy symptoms of children is an important part of parenting. Fortunately, most kids have similar allergic reactions as their parents, and many of the same remedies or medicines that work for adults will also work for them in smaller doses.

Be sure to check out Genexa’s Allergy medicines,, including their Allergy Care and Kids’ Allergy medicines. Other clean medicine options are also available for addressing the symptoms associated with common colds and sore throats. In the end, a great way to ensure the health of your child is to use clean medicine options (medicine made with same effective ingredients, but without the artificial fillers) for all their health needs.