Advice by Pediatric Conditions: Allergies

What Causes Allergic Symptoms?

One of the most helpful ways to think about allergic problems of the eyes, nose and chest is to view them as being caused by the immune system having gone astray. Specifically, the immune system of people with allergies responds to dust, for example, as if the dust were a germ or a threat to health.

What Are The Signs Of Allergic Problems?

That immune system response causes the troublesome symptoms that can range from any to all of the following – redness, swelling, fluid discharge, itching, discomfort, cough and difficulty breathing. The area(s) affected and the strength of the response determines any one person’s symptoms. These allergic problems can start at any time in someone’s life from infancy to old age. The symptoms usually start (and stop) suddenly and wax and wane over time. Allergic problems can last a few months never to return or can come and go over a lifetime.

Some people are bothered only infrequently to an insignificant degree and some people have frequent severe allergic problems. Most people with allergies that seek help fall between these extremes.

Is There A Cure For Allergies?

There are no proven treatments (except avoidance) that prevent allergies and there are no proven treatments that cure (or help people “outgrow”) allergies (including allergy shots). Allergy shots are simply another (in addition to nose drops, eye drops, inhaled medications and oral medications) treatment option. They help decrease allergy symptoms for as long as they are administered. They are usually reserved for people that have done all they can do to avoid offending substances, have “maxed-out” on drops, sprays and oral medications and are still miserable.

What About Allergy Treatments?

There are treatments that decrease the severity of symptoms and decrease the frequency of allergic episodes. But all treatments (except avoidance) may have undesirable side-effects. These side-effects range from insignificant problems to problems greater than the original allergic problem. In addition, side-effects vary not only by treatment but also by person. That is, a given treatment may cause few problems in one person, but cause major problems in another person. And to further complicate things, a given treatment may work well in one person, but not work at all in another. Except for avoidance, which works for everyone while the side-effects are limited to inconvenience, finding a treatment that works well for a particular person and has minimal side-effects for that person is largely a trial and error process. So, before deciding about a particular treatment for a particular person, it’s important to determine if the severity of the symptoms justify the search for a treatment. This is especially important when you realize that most people with allergy problems are going to have symptoms for at least a few years and if you’re going to recommend medication to someone, you must recognize they are probably going to be using medications for several years.