Symptom similarities
in learning problems, allergies for kids
Faced with a cranky, inattentive child, parents may worry they’re seeing a behavior issue or learning disability, but an expert suggests caregivers consider a more obvious culprit: seasonal allergies.
Some of the characteristics of learning or behavior problems such as fidgeting or difficulty concentrating can be caused by a child’s discomfort because of allergies, said Dr. Maria Garcia-Lloret, a pediatric allergist at the UCLA Mattel Children’s Hospital in Los Angeles.
“I often see children whose allergy symptoms make them so irritated they’re uncomfortable sitting still or are constantly touching their face.
These children may also have headaches and brain fog that’s due to nasal congestion and sinus pressure,” Garcia-Lloret said.
‘Disease of the young’
About 30 to 40 percent of the population suffers from allergies, which disproportionately affect younger people, Garcia-Lloret said. Allergies are the sixth-leading cause of chronic illness in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “It’s a disease of the young.
By the time people hit their 30s, 40s and 50s, the immune system can learn to adapt, but not in everyone,” Garcia-Lloret said.
While older folks may pop a Zyrtec or a Benadryl and soldier on, children have more difficulty bearing up to allergy season. Worse, some parents trivialize it, Garcia-Lloret said.
“Just because you can get over it doesn’t mean it’s not severe. Their system can be on fire. It can lead to exhaustion, and kids often don’t express themselves well,” Garcia-Lloret said.
An adult may wake up and complain of a poor night’s sleep, but a child may toss and turn all night, then wake not understanding they haven’t rested properly, Garcia-Lloret said. In some cases, allergies can mimic the signs of sleep apnea, Garcia-Lloret said.
What to watch for
“It can be difficult to discriminate between traditional allergy symptoms and the signs of a learning disability,” Garcia-Lloret said.
In addition to traditional symptoms like itchy eyes, scratchy throat, congestion, runny nose and cough, parents should also take notice of a child who is hard to wake up, who falls asleep in the middle of the day or who is distracted, unfocused or a ball of energy.
“Allergies should be part of the things that we look at,” Garcia-Lloret said.
To make a diagnosis, Garcia-Lloret asks parents whose children have allergy symptoms a series of questions. These can include how the child is doing in school, whether the child is a good sleeper, whether the child has frequent sinus and ear infections, and how long the child’s symptoms have been going on.
Common treatments include minimizing exposure to indoor allergens such as dust mites; over-the-counter, non-sedating antihistamines; and steroid nasal sprays, Garcia-Lloret said. Medications used in multiples to treat different symptoms are also effective, Garcia-Lloret said.
“Parents are often reluctant to give medications to children, but managing allergies will make a child more comfortable and prevent complications like asthma,” Garcia-Lloret said.
To accurately diagnose a child, Garcia-Lloret recommends that parents talk with their child’s doctor.
“Certainly, a learning disability and seasonal allergies are not mutually exclusive,” she said. “Kids can have both, and treating seasonal allergies of course won’t cure a learning disability.
But it’s important not to confuse the symptoms of one for the symptoms of another.”