The type of treatment for an allergy depends on the underlying cause.
Inhalant Allergy
Your doctor may decide to use the following treatments to deal with your allergy.
- Medications to deal with the symptoms. This medication is known as antihistamines.
- Desensitization therapy for inhalant allergies, your child may be given injections once or twice a week. These injections contain the allergens to which you are sensitive. They stimulate the production of a protective substance called blocking antibody to help prevent allergic symptoms. This is usually done for very severe allergies.
Food Allergies
There are several ways that your doctor may recommend to deal with food allergies. These are
- Avoid though temporarily, the foods to which you are allergic. This will allow your body to lessen its sensitivity to these foods.
- Rotate and vary the other foods in your diet to prevent new food allergies from developing.
- Use of medication e.g. Antihistamines to lessen the effects of the symptoms
- Complete avoidance for severe allergies that may lead to life threatening symptoms e.g shell fish or peanut allergy
When introducing a new food, it is important to look for signs of an allergy. Signs of an allergy can occur within a few minutes or a number of days after eating a certain food. Signs of an allergic reaction may include hives, swelling, wheezing, stuffy nose and itchy watery eyes, eczema, nausea, vomiting, cramping and diarrhea. Signs of a severe anaphylactic reaction may include hives, swelling, difficulty swallowing or breathing, skin color changes and dizziness/fainting. Your baby may also pull or scratch at her tongue and talk or cry with a hoarser or squeakier voice. Get immediate medical attention if these severe symptoms occur. If a baby experiences any of these symptoms or any other reaction while eating a food, stop feeding the food you think caused the allergy until you can talk to your baby’s doctor or health care provider.
Contact Dermatitis (Skin Allergies)
The following may be your doctor’s treatment plan
- Your doctor will ask you to try and find out what could be irritating your baby and avoid them completely
- An anti-inflammatory medicine called a steroid may also be prescribed in cream, or drop form to help decrease the inflammation or swelling.
- Wash your baby’s cloths with harsh soaps and avoid strong smelling fabric softeners
