Beware of persistent flu infection symptoms seen in children in the spring-summer months! Experts emphasize that in such cases, the probability of allergic rhinitis is high and the diagnosis should definitely be made.
Stating that the increase in allergic diseases has accelerated in recent years, Pediatric Health and Diseases Pediatric Allergy Specialist from Medigold Sultan Hospital. Belgin Aktaş said that the habits of getting away from the nature brought by contemporary life, spending more time in the house and eating with unnatural artifacts play a valuable role in this.
Obsession with hygiene harms children.
Mentioning that families’ being very careful about hygiene may harm their children instead of benefiting them, Dr. Belgin Aktaş said, “We see that mothers pay great attention to hygiene by considering the health of their children. But this more than one time can be wasteful rather than beneficial. Children’s immunity to microbes is suppressed.” said.
Spring allergies should not be neglected.
Stating that the symptoms of spring allergy can be confused with the common cold by families and neglected ‘with the thought that it will pass anyway’, Dr. Belgin Aktaş, “Generally, the perception of the symptoms as recurrent cold attacks, cold medicines in the treatment or approaches such as allergy syrups given without revealing the factor causing the allergy cause delay in the treatment.” spoke form.
May turn into asthma over time.
The most typical spring allergy is allergic rhinitis, that is, hay fever, which is popularly known as hay fever. Dr. Aktaş stated that many children with allergic rhinitis also suffer from allergic rhinitis, adding, “In some children, these allergens can also cause asthma symptoms or an allergic reaction on the skin. When the treatment is delayed, allergic rhinitis can lead to many problems from asthma to sinusitis, fluid accumulation in the middle ear and related hearing loss, from a decrease in school success to distraction, concentration disorder and sleep disorders. Allergic rhinitis (hay fever) is a chronic disease of childhood with an increasing frequency. If your child always has signs of flu infection in the spring-summer months, the probability of allergic rhinitis is very high. It is not possible to treat allergy with trial-targeted drugs without definitive allergy detection. Allergic rhinitis is likely to turn into asthma over time. For this reason, spring allergy should be suspected in cases of sneezing, runny nose, redness and watering in the eyes lasting more than two weeks, and a doctor should definitely be consulted. If a doctor is not consulted, the allergen is not protected properly, regular drug treatment is not applied, and if the child smokes near the child, the danger increases.” used the terms.
Beware of these symptoms!
Referring to the symptoms of allergic rhinitis, Dr. Belgin Aktaş,” Long-term clear nasal discharge, nasal congestion; itching of the nose, lips, throat and palate, the formation of horizontal lines called allergic salute by always pushing the nose up due to itching, nasal discharge, sneezing attacks, feeling of pressure or pain on the face, itching in the eyes, transparent watering, redness, swelling and bluish-purple discoloration under the eyes, cough, shortness of breath, wheezing (asthma symptoms), deterioration in sleep quality.” provided information.
Do not interrupt treatment because it is relieved.
Pointing out that the treatment of seasonal allergies is three-pronged, Aktaş said, “The most basic approach in treatment is to cut off contact with the sensitive allergen. The second is the drug treatment recommended by your doctor. The third leg is the way of desensitization with vaccines. Unfortunately, the allergic body cannot be completely eliminated with the treatment applied. Therefore, the main purpose of treatment is to control the disease. Children recover rapidly with the treatment applied, and the frequency and severity of the complaints decrease. However, you need to be careful to use the drugs that your doctor recommends for your child to use during the pollen season, not for a short time, but in the appropriate time and dose because you can stop when the complaints are over, but it provides a short-term analysis.
If the environmental precautions are not taken properly when the drug is discontinued in drug treatment, allergy may flare up again. Vaccine therapy, which is administered as a needle or sublingual drop, is a very valuable form of treatment that can prevent new allergen sensitization and the development of asthma. However, this treatment decision and follow-up should definitely be made by a pediatric allergist. Since allergic diseases are long-term, that is, chronic diseases, it is a rule that the final diagnosis of allergy should be made by a pediatric allergist and the treatment should be planned in order to get appropriate results from the treatment. used the terms.
Ways to protect your child from allergens during the pollen season.
· Do not take it out as much as possible when pollen is heavy. Especially be careful not to be in green areas.
· Since the pollen density is high in the early morning and late evening, be careful when ventilating your house.
· A thin layer of Vaseline applied to the outer part of the nose and around the eyes can help the pollen to stick and reduce its entry into the body to some extent.
· When you go out, you can use a pollen mask that covers your mouth and nose, and you can use sunglasses that cover the side of your eyes.
· Do not dry clothes outside during pollen season.
· Change his clothes and take a shower when he comes to the house from outside. Make sure that the clothes he takes off are not left in the bedroom. Although it is not possible to take a shower at that time, it will be useful to wash your mouth and nose.
· Humidify your home as hot-dry home air will increase complaints.
· Avoid keeping furry animals and plants in your home.
· Make sure that the duvet and blanket are cotton and synthetic instead of wool, and wash the bedding at 60 degrees every week.
· Sweep, wipe and dust your house frequently.
· Never smoke inside the house.
· Frequent cleaning of the nose with physiological saline (saline ocean water) can alleviate their complaints.
Come on guys, wash your hands.
Infections are common in children with allergies, especially in the spring months. Hygiene and frequent hand washing are among the most effective ways to protect against infections in every era. Because germs are mostly transmitted by hand and mouth. For this reason, great attention should be paid to hand and face purity, and especially parents should teach their children this very valuable rule. Stating that parents should not come into contact with their children without washing their hands and face when they come to the residence, Dr. Belgin Aktaş said, “Children who go to school carry infections to their younger siblings. We should remind children to wash their hands frequently. We, too, can prevent the transmission of infection to our children by wearing masks when we feel symptoms of illness such as runny nose, malaise and sneezing.” said.
Healthy and stable nutritional condition.
Drawing attention to the value of strengthening immunity in children with allergies, Aktaş said, “For this reason, a healthy and stable diet should be given importance. Good and stable nutrition ensures that the immune system is strengthened in every period. Foods such as yogurt and kefir strengthen the intestinal flora thanks to the probiotics they contain. It provides protection from many infectious diseases, especially diarrhea. Vitamin C also strengthens the immune system. Fresh fruits and vegetables are valuable sources of vitamin C. In this case, we should not forget about vitamin D. Because vitamin D also provides protection from infections, strengthens the immune system. In sunny weather, we should not deprive ourselves and our children of the sun. We should benefit from direct sun for half an hour a day. Another valuable element in the prevention of spring diseases is training. Training supports the immune system. For this reason, it is useful to direct children to activities such as walking and cycling in the fresh air. Avoiding contact with sick people, avoiding closed and crowded environments, not sending the sick child to school, frequent and systematic ventilation of the classrooms, avoiding sweaty clothes and changing sweaty clothes are also of great importance in preventing diseases. provided in the form.
