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EXPOSURE TO ALLERGY TRIGGERS

when it’s actually an allergy. “There are four commons causes of snotty noses. Allergic rhinitis, an infection in sinuses, enlarged adenoids or a result of a cold,” says Dr Manjra.

Dr Rabie also recommends you get a definitive allergy diagnosis (this can be done by a skin-prick or blood test) in order to be able to treat allergies effectively, and more importantly prevent the allergy from being triggered. “You can’t keep them in a plastic bubble; you want your children to have a normal childhood. But if you know that your child is allergic to grass you can reduce exposure, for example,” she says. Desensitisation to allergies is also a process to consider. You can start desensitisation from age six; in some European countries they will start at four. The vaccines available in South Africa for this are either injectable or vaccines you take under the tongue as a drop or a spray. Dr Manjra explains the process: “To desensitise a child you can give them weekly injections for the first three months and thereafter monthly for a period of three years. There is also a newer form called sublingual immunotherapy where they place drops under their tongue on a daily basis for three years. These treatments cost between R6 000 and R8 000 a year and can be done in children over the age of four.” You can discuss this with your child’s paediatrician or allergist.

Another reason to get to grips with things if your child suffers from allergies is behaviour and performance. “These children tend to have something called ‘presenteeism’. They go to school, but they are not entirely functional because they cannot breathe properly at night so they sleep badly. As a result they are tired, have poor memory, poor concentration and poor focus so they battle at school,” says Dr Rabie. “If you desensitise a child like this you will not only improve their quality of life and performance, you decrease the risk that they will develop other allergies. If they have allergic asthma you could find you will cure it,” she says.

THE TROUBLE WITH BABIES

The current tests we have for allergies may not test positive in very young children simply because they still have a developing immune system, says Dr Rabie. So your suspicion may be that your baby has allergies, but it’s very hard to prove at that young age. In children under two the standard form of treatment for environmental allergies is regular use of saline spray with non-sedating antihistamines. In older children, antihistamines should only be used to treat severe symptoms, or if the child also has eczema to help stop them itching and scratching, says Dr Rabie.

There are nasal sprays that are authorised for use in young children but some doctors will consider using them “off label” in a child or infant that they feel really need the treatment and relief from their symptoms.

So at what point do you see a doctor? “If a snotty nose doesn’t clear up within 10 days you should see a doctor,” says Dr Manjra, while Dr Rabie warns that immune deficiencies can also mimic allergies. Unless you have suffered from allergies you cannot really know how debilitating and miserable they can make you feel, let alone how your child is feeling. So take the time to discover the cause of the allergy and how it could possibly be cured if you think your little one is affected.