Ini, saya punya artikel singkat tentang alergi, semoga
berguna.
Mamanya Dafi
What is an allergy?
Essentially, an allergy is an
immune reaction to a substance that is inhaled,
injected, ingested, or even just
touched. The body's immune system responds
to an allergen--the substance
causing the reaction--by releasing histamines and
other chemicals that result in such
symptoms as congestion, itchy or runny
nose, sore throat, diarrhea, itchy,
watery eyes, and itchy rashes.
Are allergies hereditary?
The tendency to be allergic is
often inherited, though family members may differ
widely in the kinds of
things they are allergic to. One
child may have asthma, while another is prone to hay
fever. Exclusive
breastfeeding for the first 6
months helps decrease the incidence of allergies in
the early years of life.
Are allergies easy to detect?
Not always and especially not in
babies. For instance, many infants develop a wheeze
when they get an
upper respiratory infection. It
isn't usually the sign of an allergy, and most babies
outgrow the tendency to
wheeze when they have a cold as
they mature. If the wheeze often occurs in the absence
of a cold, and it's
still there at age 3, your
healthcare provider may test for allergies, or ask you
to keep a diary of when your
child develops symptoms.
Common allergies, such as asthma
and hay fever, can usually be readily diagnosed. But a
person can
develop an allergy to almost
anything--from cat dander to polyester. When there are
symptoms but no
easily discernible cause, it's time
to consult your pediatrician (who may decide to ask
for help from an
allergist if the baby's allergies
are severe.)
The best way to detect the cause of
an allergy is with skin tests, but this is unreliable
in babies under 18
months. You should also check with
your doctor any time new symptoms develop or if they
persist. If your
baby has trouble breathing, pants,
appears disoriented, has a rapid pulse or is pale or
cold, call your doctor
immediately.
When are allergies most likely to
occur?
Symptoms can occur at any time of
the year. Mold allergies usually develop in the winter
and can be hard
to distinguish from colds.
Pollen-related allergies are more common in spring and
fall. Morning congestion
that lasts all year long is
commonly due to dust-mites or pet allergies.
Will my child have allergies for
life?
In some cases, your child will
outgrow her allergy. This frequently happens in the
case of allergic reactions
to cow's milk. In other cases, the
allergy worsens with maturity. Sometimes, a child may
develop a new or
different allergy later.
How do I treat an allergy?
While antihistamines and steroids
are sometimes used to treat infant allergies, the
simplest way to
eliminate the problem is to remove
the cause. Potential allergens include tobacco smoke,
down and feather
pillows, chenille bedspreads,
perfume, pet dander, dust mites, wool blankets, and
horsehair (sometimes
used in mattresses). Your child's
stuffed animal collection, which is a real magnet for
dust mites, should be
washed frequently.
If your child is allergic to
airborne pollen, keep him indoors during heavy-pollen
periods and on windy days,
bathe him frequently, and avoid
opening the windows on windy days. If eczema is a
problem, ask your
healthcare provider for a cortisone
or moisturizing cream.
Pets that cause an allergic
reaction should be kept outside. Difficult as it is to
contemplate, you may have
to consider finding your pet
another home.
Keep the nursery as dust-free as
possible. Pull up the carpets and cover hardwood
floors with a scatter
rug. Clean frequently to keep dust
to a minimum, though it's not really the dust itself
that's a problem but
dust mites. Relatives of spiders,
dust mites are microscopic organisms that thrive on
human skin flakes
and produce allergens. To keep
these tiny critters at bay, cover the crib mattress in
plastic, and wash all
bedding in hot water. Damp mop
rather than vacuum, since many vacuum cleaners kick up
the dust. Install
filters on furnace and
air-conditioner vents and replace them annually. You
can also buy a vacuum and air
cleaner with a high efficiency
particulate arresting (HEPA) filter to trap dust mites
and other allergens. Have
heating ducts cleaned cleaned each
fall and clean the filter once a month during the
winter.
If your child is allergic to mold
spores, you'll need to be particularly diligent about
cleaning with a
disinfectant in damp areas that
foster the growth of mold, such as closets, attics,
cellars, planters,
refrigerators, shower stalls and
garbage cans. Vent steam in the kitchen and utility
rooms, and run a
dehumidifier, which will also help
combat dust, to lower humidity. As a general rule use
a hypoallergenic
soap and mild detergents.
Infants often develop allergies to
foods, such as wheat, egg whites, soy products,
peanuts, shellfish, citrus
fruit and strawberries, and cow's
milk. The symptoms of an allergy, such as a rash or
wheezing, generally
appear within an hour of eating. If
you suspect such an allergen, you can experiment by
removing a food
from her diet; if the symptoms
disappear and then reappear when the suspected
allergen is introduced, you
might have identified the cause.
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