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Taking Charge of Your Child’s Allergies: The Informed Parent’s Comprehensive Guide PDF

231 Pages·1998·4.91 MB·English
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Taking Charge of Your Child's Allergies The Informed Parent's Comprehensive Guide This book is for our wives, Laurel and jean, mothers who have dealt each day with their own children's allegies with incomparable understanding and patience. Taking Charge of Your Child's Allergies The Informed Parent's Comprehensive Guide M. Eric Gershwin, MD University of California Medical School, Davis, CA Edwin L. Klingelhofer, PhD Professor Emeritus of Psychology California State University, Sacramento, CA Springer Science+Business Media, LLC © 1998 Springer Science+B usiness MediaNe w York Originally published by Humana Press Inc. in 1998 Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1st edition 1998 All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, microfilming, recording, or otherwise without written permission from the Publisher. All content of this book, including comments, opinions, conclusions, or recommendations, are those of the author(s), and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher. This publication is printed on acid-free paper. @ ANSI Z39.48-1984 (American National Standards Institute) Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials. Cover and template designs by Patricia F. Cleary. Photocopy Authorization Policy: Authorization to photocopy items for internal or personal use, or the internal or personal use of specific clients, is granted by Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, provided that the base fee of US $8.00 per copy, plus US $00.25 per page, is paid directly to the Copyright Clearance Center at 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923. For those organizations that have been granted a photocopy license from the CCC, a separate system of payment has been arranged and is acceptable to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC. The fee code for users of the Trans- actional Reporting Service is: [0-89603-455-0/98 $8.00 + $00.25]. Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data Gershwin, M. Eric Taking charge of your child's allergies: the informed parent's comprehensive guide I M. Eric Gershwin, Edwin L. Klingelhofer. p. em. Includes index. ISBN 978-1-61737-044-1 ISBN 978-1-4757-6685-1 (eBook) DOI 10.1007/978-1-4 757-6685-1 I. Allergy in children-Popular works. 2. Allergy in children-Patients--Care. 3. Allergy in children-Prevention. 4. Parent and child. 5. Consumer education. I. Klingelhofer, E. L. (Ed L.) II. Title. RJ386.G465 1998 98-5850 618.92'97--<lc21 CIP Preface The number of children with allergies is astounding-nearly one child in six is said to suffer from some sort of allergy. The problems of these allergic children can be as mild as occasional attacks of hay fever or as severe as disfiguring eczema and life-threatening bronchial asthma. In addition to the obvious health problems associated with having allergies, affected children may experience recurring colds, painful ear infections, and other allergy linked conditions, all of which cause frequent school absences. Childhood allergies affect school performance adversely; they may be instrumental in reducing attention span, and they are certainly a major social, psychologi cal, and financial burden for children and their parents. This book is a complete guide to childhood allergies presented in simple jargon-free language. It provides parents with comprehensive, up-to-date, and practical information and advice on how to help their allergic children. It identifies the many allergic symptoms, tells what they look like, how prevalent they are, what causes them, and what to do about them. It outlines steps parents can take to help their children understand, manage, and control their allergies. Its goal is to help parents and children cope effectively with a major childhood problem. We wrote this book because we have had to live with allergies all our lives, in ourselves and in our children. Both of us have had severely allergic children. We want to share with you what we have found out, and what Eric, who is a Professor of Medicine and Chief of Allergy, Rheumatology, and Clinical Immunology at the University of California, Davis, Medical School, teaches his medical students about caring for allergic children. M. Eric Gershwin Edwin L. Klinge/hofer v To Our Readers This book can help you and your family greatly. Its suggestions about health care reflect the best and most up-to-date medical information and opinions available. As with all medical advice, however, cases-and treat ments thereof-may vary. The authors and publisher therefore disclaim any responsibility for con sequences resulting from following advice or procedures set forth in this book. It is not intended to be an alternative to or substitute for your own doctor's recommendations. In particular, the treatment of severe, protracted, or stubborn symptoms or the use of any drug or medication should be under taken only after consultation with your own physician. vi Contents Preface .......................................................................................................................... v To Our Readers ........................................................................................................ vi Introduction .............................................................................................................. xv PART I. WHAT ARE ALLERGIES, WHY Do CHILDREN HAVE THEM, HOW CAN I BE SURE MY CHILD IS REALLY ALLERGIC, AND How CAN I BEST COPE? Chapter I. Why Our Child? Some Facts About Allergies .................................................................................. 3 What Specifically Is an Allergy? ............................................................................ 7 Chapter 2. How to Know Whether Your Child Is Allergic Introduction ............................................................................................................. I I Family History of Allergies .................................................................................. I I What Are the Symptoms? ............................................................................. 12 The When and How of Allergic Diseases in Children ................................ 12 Associated Factors .......................................................................................... 12 Directions for Using the Allergy Finder .......................................................... I 3 The Doctor's Role ................................................................................................. IS Allergies and Allergy Imposters ......................................................................... 16 Allergy, Allergy Imposters, and Physiology ..................................................... 18 Chapter 3. Guiding Your Allergic Child into the Mainstream General Health Problems .................................................................................... 23 School Problems ..................................................................................................... 24 Overall School Performance ........................................................................ 25 Physical Education ........................................................................................... 25 Other Classes ................................................................................................... 26 Other Risks at School .................................................................................... 28 At Homes of Friends ............................................................................................. 28 vii viii CONTENTS At Home Alone ...................................................................................................... 29 Holidays .................................................................................................................... 29 Traveling ................................................................................................................... 30 Summer Camp ........................................................................................................ 31 Special Problems of Allergic Children .............................................................. 31 Other Problems ..................................................................................................... 33 Teaching Allergic Offspring How to Act judiciously and Competently on Their Own ............................................................. 33 Illicit Drugs ............................................................................................................... 34 PART II. WHAT ARE ALLERGIES' TRIGGERS AND How CAN I AVOID OR CONTROL THEM EFFECTIVELY? Chapter 4. Food and Food Additives Symptoms of Food Allergy or lntolerance ...................................................... 40 Diagnostic Procedures for Establishing the Cause of Food Allergies or Intolerances ............................................................................... 40 Allergy and Intolerance-Causing Agents .......................................................... 42 Fad Diets .................................................................................................................. 43 A Special Word About Latex Allergy ............................................................... 44 Treatment of Food Allergy or Hypersensitivity ............................................ 44 Too Much of a Good Thing ................................................................................ 46 Chapter 5. Colds and Respiratory Infections Prevention of Colds and Respiratory Infections ........................................... 48 The Importance of Good Nutrition ................................................................. 48 Psychological Stress ............................................................................................... 49 Hygiene and General Health Habits ................................................................. 49 Recurrent or Chronic Lung Diseases ............................................................... 49 Chapter 6. Airborne Allergens Plant Pollens ............................................................................................................ 51 Molds and Fungi ...................................................................................................... 52 Dust ........................................................................................................................... 53 Animal Dander ........................................................................................................ 54 Smoke ........................................................................................................................ 54 Pollutants .................................................................................................................. 55 Other Airborne Allergens ................................................................................... 55 Chapter 7. Weather, Climate, and Exercise Cold ........................................................................................................................... 5? Heat ........................................................................................................................... 59 CONTENTS ix Heat and Cold ......................................................................................................... 58 Barometric Pressure and Humidity ................................................................... 59 The Seasons ............................................................................................................. 59 Activity and Exercise ............................................................................................. 59 PART Ill. THE COMMON ALLERGIC DISEASES, WHY CHILDREN DEVELOP THEM, AND THE STEPS You, THE PARENT, CAN TAKE TO DIAGNOSE, TREAT, CONTROL, AND AVOID THEIR SYMPTOMS Chapter 8. Skin Irritants ..................................................................................... 63 Chapter 9. Insect Stings or Bites Incidence .................................................................................................................. 67 Usual Age of Onset ............................................................................................... 67 Symptoms ................................................................................................................. 67 Habitats of Stinging and Biting Insects .............................................................. 69 First Aid and Home Treatment of Insect Stings and Bites ......................... 69 Avoiding Insect Stings and Bites ......................................................................... 69 Controlling Stinging and Biting Insects ............................................................. 72 Long-Term Treatment .......................................................................................... 72 Complications ......................................................................................................... 73 A Special Note About Spiders ............................................................................ 74 Chapter I0 . Gastrointestinal Complaints (Colic, Constipation, Diarrhea, and Stomachache) Causes of Food Allergies and Intolerances in Children .............................. 76 Foods Associated with Gastrointestinal Symptoms in Children ............... 77 A Note on Milk and Enzyme Deficiencies in Children ................................ 78 Identifying Food Intolerance ............................................................................... 78 First Aid and Home Treatment of Food Intolerance ................................... 78 Special Hints ............................................................................................................ 80 Chapter II. Asthma (Wheezing and Shortness of Breath) Incidence .................................................................................................................. 81 Usual Age of Onset ............................................................................................... 82 Symptoms ................................................................................................................. 82 Causes ....................................................................................................................... 82 When to See the Doctor .................................................................................... 83 Skin Testing ............................................................................................................. 83 Treatment of Asthma ........................................................................................... 84 Identify the Causal Agent or Agents ................................................................. 84 Avoid Asthma's Causal Agents ........................................................................ 86

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What Can a Parent Do when a Child Suffers Terribly from Allergies? There is a lot you can do to help, according to leading allergy researcher M. Eric Gershwin, MD, and psychologist Edwin L. Klingelhofer, PhD. Drawing not only on their professional knowledge, but on their daily experiences with their
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