How do you fight allergies in children? First, it’s important to acknowledge that the predisposition to allergies is hereditary and lifelong — so you can never completely defeat them. However, there are several ways to significantly reduce allergy symptoms. The foundation is keeping your home free of dust and dust mites. Read on to find out what you can do for your child’s health.
How to Recognise Allergies in Children
Allergy symptoms in children can vary depending on the type of allergen and the immune system’s response. Here are some of the most common signs you should watch for as a parent:
- Skin rashes and eczema.
- Diarrhoea and blood in the stool.
- Weight loss.
- Vomiting after eating.
- Swelling.
- Persistent runny nose and cough.
- Frequent illness.
- Wheezing.
- Night-time or exercise-induced cough and breathlessness.
- Blocked nose and sneezing.
- Frequent conjunctivitis.
- Excessive swelling or itching after insect stings or after taking medication.
If your child is showing any of these symptoms, it could be a sign of an allergy — and it’s important to seek professional help. An allergist can assist with both diagnosis and treatment.
Read more about the most common allergies in children.
What Helps with Allergies in Children?
Beyond the advice of your child’s doctor or allergist, the following tips can also help reduce the severity of allergies in children.
1) Regular Cleaning
A clean home is essential when caring for a child with allergies. Regular cleaning shouldn’t just mean sweeping, hoovering, and mopping — it should focus above all on removing dust.
2) A Dust Mite-Free Bed
The most important piece of furniture in your child’s room is their bed — the place where they rest after a long day. An unprotected mattress can harbour up to 2 million dust mites, and up to 10% of the weight of an unprotected duvet or pillow is dust. Dust mites can fully colonise bedding in as little as six months. If the bed is full of dust mites, your child will wake up tired and irritable. Equip your child’s bed with anti-dust mite covers made with nanofabric, or an anti-dust mite pillow and a nanofabric duvet. Nanofabric is uniquely effective at preventing dust mites from accumulating inside bedding. When you buy a new mattress, vacuum it thoroughly and then cover it with an anti-dust mite encasement or a nano-cotton fitted sheet.
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3) Remove Excess Fabrics
There should be no carpet in your child’s room — dust mites thrive in carpets and even thorough hoovering won’t get rid of them. Instead, give your child a small play mat that you can wash once a week. If the allergy is more severe, remove curtains as well. Try to limit other fabrics that simply collect dust.
4) Which Pets Are Suitable for Allergy Sufferers?
It’s often recommended not to keep pets at all, but unlike dust mite allergens, children can actually build up tolerance to cat and dog allergens when exposed from an early age. That said, a cat or a non-shedding dog is a better choice. A poodle, for example, is an ideal option.
5) Humidity Levels
Keep indoor humidity between 35–50% and the temperature below 22 °C. Dust mites thrive at humidity above 50% and temperatures above 22 °C. You can regulate the air at home using various humidifiers or dehumidifiers.
6) Mould
Get rid of any mould in your home and prevent it from coming back. Mould most commonly appears in the bathroom — around shower and bath grout — in the kitchen, and basically anywhere with high moisture. Dehumidifiers help reduce humidity by condensing moisture from the air and collecting the water in a tank.
7) Air Quality
If you use an air purifier, remember to ventilate the room thoroughly first, then close the windows and doors. An air purifier only cleans the air — it doesn’t produce oxygen. Without proper ventilation, carbon dioxide will build up indoors. For air cleaning, photocatalytic coatings with TiO2 nanoparticles are even more effective — they remove allergens, odours, and bacteria from the air while also protecting walls against mould. As a bonus, your walls stay snow-white for up to 10 years.
Allergies in children and babies can combine, disappear, and resurface throughout life. That’s why it’s so important not to ignore allergy symptoms in your children, to respond promptly to any new allergic reactions, and to seek professional help and treatment in good time.
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Frequently Asked Questions
At what age do allergies appear?
Allergies can appear at different stages of life. Some allergies, such as food allergies, may show up as early as infancy. Allergies to feathers or dust mites often develop during childhood. Pollen allergies and certain other allergies can emerge in early childhood or later during adolescence.
What are the most common allergies in children?
The most common allergies in children include food allergies (e.g. milk, eggs, peanuts), allergies to feathers and dust mites, allergic rhinitis (hay fever), and asthma. These allergies can vary depending on the region and other individual factors.
What does hives look like in children?
Hives (urticaria) is an allergic skin reaction that appears as an itchy rash in the form of raised bumps or welts. In children, hives are often triggered by allergens such as foods, medications, or insect stings. The rash can vary in shape and size and may spread across the body. Accompanying symptoms can include itching and swelling of the lips or eyelids.
How to spot a pollen allergy in children?
Symptoms of a pollen allergy in children may include itchy eyes, watery eyes, frequent sneezing, a runny nose, and worsening asthma. These symptoms typically appear during periods when the pollen count in the air is high. If you suspect your child has a pollen allergy, it’s a good idea to see a doctor.
How are allergies in children treated?
Treatment for allergies in children can vary depending on the specific allergy and the severity of symptoms. You should always discuss treatment options with your doctor or paediatrician.
