Spring in quarantine: seasonal allergies are not sleeping

Sun, warmth, spring air — we all eagerly await the arrival of spring every year. This year's spring season has changed our usual lives: we are forced to adhere to quarantine measures and all possible safety measures to protect ourselves and our children from coronavirus infection. Despite this, spring is confidently taking its place outside the window. And while most people are enjoying the sunshine, spring buds, and blooming trees, seasonal allergies have already begun to bother both adults and children. Even under the current circumstances, we go for short walks, to the store, and air our apartments, coming into contact with the environment and allergens.

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In this difficult time, parents should pay maximum attention to protecting their children from coronavirus disease. But, unfortunately, no one has canceled other ailments that can negatively affect the child's condition, in particular allergies. How to recognize allergies in a son or daughter and what to do? I suggest we deal with this issue together.

Seasonal allergies: what is it?

Seasonal allergies or hay fever are allergic diseases of the mucous membranes caused by pollen from various plants. In response to the stimulus, the human immune system begins to “overwork”, reacting to pollen as if it were a virus. It would seem that now the plants are just starting to wake up, so the risk of allergies is minimal. In fact, spring is the time for the start of the allergy season: tree sap accelerates circulation and contributes to the spread of pollen in the air.

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In general, there are three waves of this disease in our climate zone:

• The first wave falls on March-May — it is an allergy to pollen from beech trees: for example, birch, alder, hazel, or oak.
• The second wave begins in June and lasts until mid-July — this is the season of allergy to meadow grass pollen. Interestingly, it coincides with the time of poplar flowering, so people often think that the cause of their allergy is poplar. But the thing is that the allergy is caused by pollen that settles on poplar fluff.
• And the last, third wave, falls in mid-August-early September — at this time, ragweed and wormwood are actively blooming.

The most vulnerable to seasonal allergies are children after three years of age and people under 35 years of age, whose mucous membranes are very sensitive to external stimuli. The causes of allergies, first of all, include heredity - if you have a tendency to hay fever, then the likelihood that your baby may also encounter such a problem increases. Another reason is the regularity and intensity of contact with the allergen. For example, Ukrainians are characterized by an allergy to ragweed due to its prevalence in the country, and among the inhabitants of Greece, the most common allergy is to the olive tree.

Eye allergies in a child: eye allergy treatment

How to recognize seasonal allergies

The symptoms of hay fever are familiar to many: runny nose, active tearing, cough. This is true, because allergies affect the respiratory system and the mucous membrane of the eyes. Therefore, the main task of parents here is not to confuse the symptoms of allergies with other diseases.

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This is a fairly common practice in our work. This fall, a small patient came to us with breathing complaints that had been bothering us for several months. After examination, the child was diagnosed with bacterial sinusitis. However, the treatment of sinusitis did not give positive results, the child still had difficulty breathing. We began to consider other causes that could provoke sinusitis, in particular allergies. After passing the necessary tests for allergy testing, we found that the patient was allergic to plant pollen. But the next question arose - it was already autumn outside the window, when all the trees and grasses had faded, and the pollen had stopped flying. This meant that, despite the change of season, the child continued to contact the allergen.

Together with the parents of the little patient, we began to analyze his diet to understand what could be the cause of the allergy. It turned out that the child is an avid connoisseur of honey. And honey often contains proteins that are similar to plant pollen, which causes allergies. Thus, by consuming large amounts of honey, the child continued to contact the allergen. On our recommendation, the parents excluded honey from the child’s diet, which helped restore breathing.

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There are some tips on how to avoid confusing allergies with another disease:

• The child's body temperature does not rise
• Good general well-being and appetite
• Symptoms are stable and not worsening
• Under certain circumstances, all symptoms may suddenly disappear — for example, it rained, it got cold suddenly, or you and your family went to another region for the weekend. The symptoms disappear because the child stops coming into contact with the allergen.

If your child has a fever, cough, or difficulty breathing, I advise you to contact your doctor immediately or call him at home to examine your child.

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Diagnosis, treatment and prevention of seasonal allergies

First, allergies need to be properly diagnosed. Today, the most common diagnostic methods are skin testing and blood testing (ELISA). The decision on which method to use is made by the doctor based on the individual patient's case. Both methods are not only effective in diagnosing allergies, but can often complement each other to most accurately determine the origin of the allergen.

Pollen allergy in a child, causes and treatment

Allergy treatment should be comprehensive, it can be of two types: non-specific or specific. Non-specific treatment does not depend on a specific allergen. Such treatment is prescribed before the start of the allergy season with preventive measures, including antihistamines. If the allergy has already manifested itself, medications are prescribed that reduce the exacerbation of the disease. The second group is specific treatment. It is called specific immunotherapy (SIT). This method involves the portioned introduction of the allergen into the human body according to a certain schedule, which helps to form immunity to specific allergens.

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Seasonal allergies should be paid attention to at any age. Although plant pollen is not a threat to life, hay fever can significantly worsen its quality. In my experience, there are often cases when parents, not knowing the true cause of the allergy, may, for the sake of their child's safety, limit their diet or interaction with the external environment. And such frameworks have a more negative impact on our descendants and their future lives than we might think.

Now, in quarantine conditions, is not the best time to go to the hospital - it can be dangerous. But, if you notice that your child has symptoms of an allergy, I advise you not to self-medicate or ignore the illness. You can call a doctor at home to examine your child and determine further actions, or consult a specialist using online explanations.

So be careful of yourself and your children. And most importantly, take care of yourself and your homeland and continue to enjoy spring.