Allergies

Allergies are a result of body hypersensitivity of the person with allergy. In a healthy man only aggressive factors cause defensive reaction i.e. pathogenic bacteria. Human body responds with allergy to many factors which are not causing allergy in healthy people. A pathological defensive reaction can be provoked when coming into contact with ordinary food, pollens, dust particles, animal hair and other factors

The largest number of ailments is recorded in industrialized countries.

Pollution of natural environment increases our sensitivity to allergen activity, and they themselves become very aggressive.

There are several mechanisms of allergic reactions arising and they are very complicated. To simplify that greatly we can say that if one of the factors causing allergy finds its way into the body of an allergic person then in so called mast cells, located underneath the skin, on mucous membranes and in other organs substances responsible for allergic reactions are released (mainly histamine).

Changes caused by allergies are inflammations. Chronic allergic inflammation can concern respiratory tract, skin, conjunctiva, digestive tract.

Environment pollution increases our susceptibility to allergen effect and they themselves become very aggressive.

Allergies most frequently occur during childhood. Body of a small child has not entirely formed mechanisms that should protect it from the harmful influence of the external environment. Ignoring child allergies can lead to asthma development, which in turn can cause irreversible changes in respiratory tract.

Most of the allergies develop in people with predisposition to so called atopic syndrome (atopy), that means an inborn tendency to allergies. This defect is passed on from one generation to the next one. It is not always the case that an allergy to a particular factor is inherited, however it is always the tendency for allergies. One can never know when and what alergen will the child react to. That is why to prevent allergy development a child with athopy must be protected from its birth from all sorts of allergic factors. Unfortunately its not always successful.

Factors causing allergies are called allergens. They are divided into following groups:

- food and inhalatory

- contact and infectious contact and infection allergies often ails people without predispositions for atopy.

Which symptoms should make a baby’s mother cautious? At earliest, because as soon as in 1-3 month of life the food allergy can emerge. A baby suffering from food allergy is anxious, weepy, has bloats, stomachaches, colics. Such a baby may also have loose stools, indigested, with mucus sometimes blood. Almost simultaneously skin changes can appear, eg. Cheek redness (they look like polished), peeling skin on the fontanel, maculopapular rash or boils with liquid, discharging and forming scabs. Some time later at the end of first year symptoms connected with respiratory tract may appear, stuffy nose, coryza, wheezing breath, breathing difficulties, tiring paroxysmal cough at night or at dawn. They can be particularly alarming if they appear without infection symptoms in a seemingly healthy baby.

In older children, those 6-7 years old, typical signs of asthma may develop, hay fever and skin changes (severe nettle rash). This transition of one allergy into another is even called an “allergic march” – a child grows up from one allergy, the allergic process slowly proceeds to other organs.

It is beast to begin treatment with the pediatrician that normally takes care of the child. Should he or she have difficulties diagnosing and treating the child will be sent to a specialist. After correct diagnosis and planned treatment by an allergologist the child can return to its pediatrician’s care. It is sufficient if it sees the allergologists several times a year.

What can be the consequences of untreated allergy or incorrect diagnosis?

Unfortunately it does happen that that child allergy remains undiscovered for a longer period, as the illness course is similar to repeating colds or bacterial or viral bronchitis. Children are sometimes treated with antibiotics for years when they in fact should have received anti-allergic and bronchial relaxants. In principle all untreated allergy form facilitates asthma development. In children with atopy it can attack after each viral infection.

Asthma is the most frequent chronic disease of school age children.

If it is treated incorrectly it leads to irreversible changes in the respiratory tract of a child, causing it to enter its adult life as a disabled person; not infrequently this disease poses threat to life.

dr Danuta Chmielewska-Szewczyk