Your child is coughing, sneezing, and is generally sick. Is this a cold, the flu, or allergies? It can be hard to tell if your child needs an appointment at the usual doctor or if it’s time to see a pediatric allergist in Birmingham, AL, or elsewhere. Here are signs that your child suffers from allergies and not other aliments.
Warning Symptoms
It’s true that each child tends to develop their own special reactions to what he or she is allergic to. However, according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology, the most serious warning signs of a major allergy are:
* Breaking out into hives, which are usually itchy
* Serious breathing problems
* Sudden or chronic nausea which may or may not include vomiting
* Itchy eyes
* Constantly runny nose with or without sneezing.
Keep an Allergy Reaction Journal
An allergist usually does a skin scratch or other kind of test to determine just what your child is allergic to. While waiting for the appointment, help your child and your pediatric allergist in Birmingham, AL, or elsewhere out by keeping a journal of when your child experiences strange symptoms.
In this diary, list the day, time the symptoms occurred, for how long they occurred, and whatever he or she has eaten before the symptoms started. If the child has an upset stomach, note what foods he or she ate that day. It’s also good to note how the weather was in order to rule out seasonal or pollen allergies.
Allergies Can Be Successfully Treated
The good news about allergies in children is that they often can be successfully treated through medication and lifestyle changes.
