When the immune system sees a harmless substance as harmful, it reacts to this situation and an allergic reaction occurs. When the immune system sees the substance entering the body as a threat, it leads to the production of antibodies, and these antibodies fight the substance, which is considered dangerous, and histamine is released. The substance that causes an allergic reaction in the body is called an allergen. Many allergens can cause allergic reactions, which are very common in infants. As with older children and adults, babies can develop allergies to things they eat, touch and breathe.
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Allergy Symptoms in Babies
When there is an allergic reaction, the body reacts to this situation and produces some symptoms.
A baby with allergies may have one or more of the following symptoms:
- dark circles under custody,
- Itching in the nose and eyes
- Watery, red, puffy eyes,
- Sneeze,
- Grunt,
- dry cough,
- Irritability, restlessness, or tiredness
- runny or stuffy nose,
- Headache,
- sleep problem,
- itchy ear canals,
- Shortness of breath.
Your baby may have one or more of these symptoms. The factors leading to the formation of these symptoms are listed in three categories; seasonal allergy, food allergy, environmental factors.
Food Allergy in Babies
Symptoms of food allergies in infants may appear after a few minutes or hours. Symptoms of some drug allergies, such as a rash, may not appear for several days. The biggest symptoms of food allergy in babies are: hives or rash, itching, wheezing, or shortness of breath. Food allergies can also cause nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. While the symptoms of food allergy can be very mild, they can also have very serious consequences. A serious food allergy can be life-threatening. There are certain foods that cause food allergies in babies. These foods are; cow’s milk, egg, fish, hazelnut tree, peanut, soybean, wheat, shellfish. Allergies to some foods are overcome towards the end of childhood. For example, egg allergy and cow’s milk allergy are among the allergies that most babies get over as they grow up. For this reason, egg and cow’s milk allergy is very rare in adults. However, nut or peanut allergy can last a lifetime. In breastfed babies, the food eaten by the mother can pass to the baby through milk. For this reason, the mother’s diet list is also prepared for babies with food allergies.
Environmental Allergies in Babies
Babies can develop allergies to many invisible things in the air they breathe. Common triggers of environmental allergies include: pet dander, dust mites that can be found in mattresses or bed linens, household cleaners, detergents, soaps and shampoos. Clothing that comes into direct contact with the baby’s skin can cause an allergic reaction. The detergent used, especially when washing the clothes of newborn babies, should be as pure and odorless as possible.
Seasonal Allergies in Babies
Pollen counts rise at certain times of the year. This situation adversely affects some babies and paves the way for an allergic reaction. Seasonal allergies usually manifest themselves during certain months of the year. However, in some cases, seasonal allergies can be long-lasting, as pollen can hold in closed areas. Seasonal allergies are also known as “hay fever”. Some of the symptoms of seasonal allergies include: feeling of itching in the eyes, stuffy nose, runny nose, itching in the ears, throat. If seasonal allergies are not treated, they can turn into health problems such as asthma, sinusitis and ear infections.
Allergy Diagnosis and Treatment in Babies
In case of any of the allergy symptoms in babies, it will be beneficial for your baby’s health to benefit from the opinion of an expert. Your allergist is one of the most reliable sources to determine if your baby has allergies. The best way to control and manage an allergy is to know what the allergen is causing the allergic reaction. Staying away from the allergen will prevent an allergic reaction. Your allergist can run a series of tests to find the allergen causing the reaction in your baby. One of these tests is the skin test. With the skin test, a very small amount of the substance suspected to cause allergies in your baby is placed under the skin. After the substance suspected of being an allergen is placed under the skin, observation is made for 15-20 minutes and if your baby’s body reacts to that substance, that substance is considered an allergen. If the body does not respond, another substance is tried. Blood test or elimination diet are among the other methods used to detect the allergen. In the elimination diet, foods that may cause allergies are excluded from the list and the baby’s condition is observed. Then, these foods are added to the list gradually and it is tried to determine whether those foods cause an allergic reaction. After the allergen substance is detected, the path to follow is easier. Different treatments are applied according to the baby’s condition and conditions. Your allergist will determine the treatment to be applied according to your baby’s allergy level and symptoms.
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