| Should My Child Have Child Allergy Immunotherapy? |
Should My Child Have Child Allergy Immunotherapy?
Child allergy immunotherapy is not indicated for many children suffering from mild to moderate child allergies, and in fact, given the true number of diagnosed and undiagnosed child allergies the vast majority of child allergy sufferers do not receive child allergy immunotherapy. For many children, though, child allergy immunotherapy is a very good option for the control of child allergies and can greatly improve overall health.
What Is Child Allergy Immunotherapy?
Child allergy immunotherapy is known by many by a more common name: allergy shots. It is also known medically by a less common name: allergen immunotherapy.
Child allergy immunotherapy is a course of treatment that results in a sort of vaccination against targeted allergens. Just as vaccinations teach the body how to recognize and react to a certain disease, child allergy immunotherapy teaches the body how to properly recognize allergens and react to them (or in the case of allergies—not react to them).
The "vaccine" used in child allergy immunotherapy is a small dose of extracted allergen. The allergen used is determined by the child's response to allergy testing. Both allergy testing and child allergy immunotherapy are performed by a specialized doctor, an allergist, or immunologist.
Child allergy immunotherapy requires a commitment on the part of the parent and the child. Child allergy immunotherapy begins with small weekly does which are then increased (the dosage) and decreased in frequency. After the initial build-up period, child allergy immunotherapy shots will be given on a bi-weekly basis, then a monthly basis for up to three more years. In total, a course of child allergy immunotherapy takes five years to complete, but the effects—desensitization to allergens—will last a for years.
When Should Child Allergy Immunotherapy Be Considered?
For most children, the normal regimen of reduced allergen exposure and management with medications is recommended. For most children, this course of action proves very successful.
There is the potential for side-effects and severe reactions in children receiving child allergy immunotherapy; side-effects that are localized consist of redness and swelling in the injections-site area. These can be controlled with allergy medications and if they persist the schedule and dosing may be revised. Systemic reactions can also occur, which can cause swelling and difficulty breathing. These are very rare but can be life threatening; this is one of the reasons why child allergy immunotherapy may not be in your child's best interest (depending on the allergy and severity).
When allergen avoidance and medications cannot adequately control a child's allergy symptoms, and symptoms are impacting the child's health on a larger scale, child allergy immunotherapy may be recommended. Children who are best suited for child allergy immunotherapy are
Children who cannot control their allergies and/or allergy-related asthma well with medications
Children who rely heavily on allergy/asthma medications to the extent that medications may be causing lasting harm
Children who cannot avoid their allergy triggers, who meet the criteria above
Children who are facing a life-long allergy for whom the management outlook is weak (as opposed to children showing signs of outgrowing the allergy)
Children who have difficulty tolerating allergy and asthma medications
While child allergy immunotherapy is certainly tempting on the face, it should be remembered that child allergy immunotherapy is a long process before even initial relief is achieved; it can be six months or longer before child allergy immunotherapy will make a notable difference in the management of child allergies. The complete course, which is necessary to achieve full allergen immunity, can take as long as five years—that's a commitment that can be difficult to keep as children grow.
Ultimately, the decision to have a child undergo child allergy immunotherapy rests with the parent, but the choice is by no means made alone. Child allergy immunotherapy can only be undertaken on the advice and under the care of a qualified allergist, and so it is essential for both the parent and the child to build a trusting relationship with the doctor in order for child allergy immunotherapy to succeed.
|
Recognizing Child Allergy Symptoms Recognizing child allergy symptoms can be a bit of a challenge, particularly for less severe reactions ...
read more
Common Child Allergy Triggers Nearly any substance existing on earth has the potential to be a child allergy trigger in ...
read more
What To Do In Case Of An Allergy Attack In Children If you are a parent or caregiver responsible for ...
read more
The Basics Of Child Food Allergies Child food allergies are the subject of some debate among medical professionals the existence ...
read more
Maintaining An Allergy Proof Home Whenever possible, the absolute best way to manage children's seasonal and environmental allergies is to ...
read more
Skin Allergies In Children The appearance of a skin rash is generally what people think of when they talk about ...
read more
Relief For Kids With Skin Allergies Kids with skin allergies have a strong need for relief of skin allergy symptoms. ...
read more
Living With Child Pet Allergies Nearly any type of pet can cause allergies in children understanding the basics of child ...
read more
Allergy Relief For Kids Allergy relief for kids suffering from any type of allergy is a major concern for parents ...
read more
Relieving Child Allergies Without Medications Allergy medicines can and do play an important role in managing and relieving child allergies ...
read more
Medical And Pharmaceutical Options For Child Allergy Treatment Medical and pharmaceutical options for child allergy treatment are recommended for stopping ...
read more
An Overview Of Children's Allergy Products There are a number of practices, and products that are useful in treating children's ...
read more
Understanding And Managing Latex Allergy In Children Latex allergy in children seems to be on the rise, although that perception ...
read more
What Parents Should Know About Child Allergy Testing Allergy testing can be an effective way to identify the allergens that ...
read more
Allergy Management For Kids With Seasonal Allergies Allergy management for kids with seasonal allergies is a mixture of medical intervention ...
read more
Telltale Signs Of Seasonal Allergies In Children Parents often have a lot of trouble figuring out whether their children are ...
read more
Help For Parents And Children Dealing With A Child Cat Allergy Discovering a child cat allergy can be very disheartening ...
read more
Life With Kids And Dog Allergies If you have kids and dog allergies in your home, and giving up the ...
read more
The Relationship Between Asthma And Child Allergies Childhood asthma is a condition that is both directly related to and entirely ...
read more
Environmental Allergies In Children It is not uncommon for people to think of seasonal or nasal allergies when they think ...
read more
Child Dust Allergies Are Manageable One of the most common types of allergy found in youngsters is child dust allergies. ...
read more
The How, When, And Where Of Child Mold Allergies If you have a child suffering from allergies in your home ...
read more
Chemical Allergies In Children As allergies go, chemical allergies in children occur less frequently than other types of allergies such ...
read more
Food Intolerance In Children: How It Differs From Child Food Allergies Child nutrition is not always just a matter of ...
read more
Locating And Choosing Allergists For Children When child allergies go beyond mild, it may be time to seek more specialized ...
read more
The Role Of The Children's Immunologist When the diagnosis, treatment, or management of children's allergies goes beyond the knowledge and ...
read more
What Is Sinusitis In Children? Sinusitis in children is a common childhood illness, which may be even more prevalent in ...
read more
Is It Possible To Keep Kids Allergy-Free? Parenting would be a far easier task if there was a magic way ...
read more
Methods Of Food Allergy Testing For Children When child food allergies or child food intolerances are suspected, food allergy testing ...
read more
Preventing Child Food Allergy From Birth No parent wants to see their child suffer throughout life with food allergies. There ...
read more
Recognizing Food Allergy Symptoms In Kids If you can learn to recognize the sometimes elusive symptoms of child food allergies, ...
read more
Child Eczema And Allergies: Relationship And Control Eczema often plays a big role in the life of a child with ...
read more
The Link Between Allergies And Sinus Infections in Children What's the link between allergies and sinus infections in children? In ...
read more
Products For Kids With Dust Mite Allergies There are plenty of medications for kids with dust mite allergies. But medications ...
read more
Should My Child Have Child Allergy Immunotherapy? Child allergy immunotherapy is not indicated for many children suffering from mild to ...
read more
An Overview Of Kids Pollen Allergies Kid's pollen allergies are yet another of the myriad allergies which impact the lives, ...
read more
Facts And Myths About Milk Allergy In Children Milk allergy in children may be one of the more misunderstood of ...
read more
Often Unrecognized, Often Undiagnosed, Delayed Food Allergy In Children You might find it surprising that not all allergies present with ...
read more
The Danger Of A Child Peanut Allergy Child peanut allergies have been increasing in school, medical, and national news. Incidences ...
read more
Wheat Allergy In Children Wheat allergy in children causes mild to severe allergy symptoms that can occur quickly, may not ...
read more
Learning To Live With Gluten Allergy In Kids Gluten allergy in kids refers to an intolerance and/or allergic reaction response ...
read more
How To Tell Sinus Infection In Kids Your child is sneezing, miserable, and congested it seems you'll never be over ...
read more
What Parents Should Know About Child Allergy Shots Child allergy shots are a well-proven, medically accepted therapy for the treatment ...
read more
Why Sinus Relief In Children With Allergies Is Important Sinus symptoms and complications are common in children with allergies. Between ...
read more
Over-The-Counter Medication Options To Treat Child Sinus Allergies It is very helpful for parents of children with child sinus allergies ...
read more
The Basics Of Child Hay Fever In the past it has been maintained that child hay fever didn't really exist ...
read more
Learning To Recognize Child Medication Allergies During the course of treatment, a child may come into contact with a medication ...
read more
Common Child Allergy Sinus Problems Children suffer from a variety of common upper respiratory infections and allergies that take a ...
read more
Finding Reliable Child Allergy Information For Parents Parents of children with allergies need child allergy information. A stock of reliable ...
read more
Allergy Information For Kids With Allergies Sure it's important for parents of children with allergies to have great information resources ...
read more
Is It Possible To Outgrow Childhood Allergies? Wouldn't it be wonderful if your child's allergies would just disappear? For some, ...
read more
Understanding Child Environmental Allergy Symptoms In the broadest sense, child environmental symptoms are caused by any type of allergen in ...
read more
|
|
|
Disclaimer: The Publisher has strived to be as accurate and complete as possible in the creation of this website, notwithstanding the fact that he does not warrant or represent at any time that the contents within are accurate due to the rapidly changing nature of the Internet.
This site is a common sense guide to Should My Child Have Child Allergy Immunotherapy?. In practical advice websites, like anything else in life, there are no guarantees of income made. Readers are cautioned to reply on their own judgment about their individual circumstances to act accordingly.
This site is not intended for use as a source of legal, business, accounting or financial advice. All readers are advised to seek services of competent professionals in legal, business, accounting, and finance field.
Any perceived slights of specific people or organizations are unintentional. |
