Have you had a hay fever because plants around you are flowering? Or you may have experienced angioedema after taking a certain painkiller. Other substances like dust, aerosol spray, strong scents, pet dander, and certain types of food are also cause for concern. You are all too aware of how unpleasant an allergy episode can be. So when you get pregnant, you can’t help but wonder if you will pass on your allergies to your children. So let’s look at how allergies develop and the ways to prevent them.
Do You Know How Allergies Develop?
It is true that allergies often run in families. Take, for example, my father. He has allergies and is asthmatic. I have so many allergies and our eldest had allergic rhinitis. She was very sensitive to dust.
However, allergy development is partly due to environmental causes because our world has changed so much. If you or your spouse suddenly has runny eyes and a stuffy nose or itchy throat, don’t be surprised.
Adult-onset allergies are also a real thing.
We even have the Covid-19 pandemic now.
- Related: Stages of Dealing with Covid-19
The good thing is, we can take steps to reduce our children’s risk of developing allergies. We may even curtail incidences of allergy attacks in the family.
Let’s first learn the different kinds of allergy reactions.
Different Kinds of Allergic Reactions
People have different health and body constitutions so our reactions to different elements also vary.
So while there are allergies that are genetic, there are also those that are developed because of one reason or another.
Let’s take a look at some of the possible allergic reactions to certain triggers.
Environmental Allergies
Some people may not have allergies growing up but suddenly develop sensitivity to certain elements.
This is especially true if they grew up in the suburbs and suddenly move to the big city for employment. Many times, the work environment as well as the cityscape can trigger allergic reactions in some individuals.
It may be the dust, disinfectants, as well as other chemicals in the air and in the workplace that attack the immune system. Some may develop allergic cough, allergic rhinitis, or skin rashes.
Seasonal Allergies
While immunologists still don’t know exactly how children and adults develop allergies, they do know that pollen allergies are very common.
Here in the province of Negros Occidental, Philippines where sugarcane plantations abound, we can really feel it with our noses when the crops are flowering. And also when it is milling season.
In other four-season countries, spring is pretty but can also trigger a lot of allergy attacks because of pollen. Ugh. Whether pollen allergies are preventable or not is still unclear.
Airborne Allergens
Thankfully, you can help decrease your child’s risk of developing another common allergy caused by dust mites.
Unlike food allergies, early exposure to dust mites increases the risk of developing an allergic reaction. That’s what happened to our eldest daughter Shawna because it’s just so dusty in our urban dwelling.
You can reduce the dust mites in your child’s bedroom by using allergen-proof bedding, washing sheets in hot water every week, and removing carpet from the room.
Moreover, I removed the curtains because they gather so much dust in just a few days and it’s too much work to have them washed once a week. So away they went.
Another easy way to reduce the allergens in your home is to keep the windows closed during hay fever season.
Furthermore, keep in mind that biological agents and dust mites love humidity. So it is best to keep your home’s humidity levels under 50 percent.
The UV Sterilization Lamp
Watch how the Covilyzer UV Sterilization Lamp works. It effectively kills dust mites in the room–including Covid-19, other viruses, and germs.
Food Allergies
In the past, doctors advised parents to delay their baby’s first foods to at least 6 months. They believe that this is how allergies develop. Plus, they must further delay giving eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, seafood, and other common food allergens.
However, research now shows that delaying giving these foods increases, rather than decreases, your child’s risk of developing food allergies.
According to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, & Immunology (AAAAI), it’s better to gradually introduce these foods between 4 and 6 months of age after your child has shown tolerance to less allergenic food.
Are you pregnant or nursing? You’ll be happy to hear that you can keep eating soy, tree nuts, and other foods that are known to cause allergies. Your baby won’t develop allergies from the food you eat.
Note: M2 Tea Drink is good for lactating moms plus it builds immunity of everyone in the family. It’s a healthy substitute for sugary drinks that kids are so used to nowadays.
Adult-Onset Allergies
Even though allergies usually appear early in life, they can also develop during adulthood.
Fifteen percent of food allergies have an adult-onset, although nobody understands why these allergies occur.
Immunologists, however, can partly explain why adults develop environmental allergies.
Your immune system may react when you move to a markedly different environment, such as an area that has higher levels of outdoor pollution or unfamiliar types of pollen.
In some other cases, you may have had the allergy all along as you were growing up. But the symptoms were so mild that you just lived with them, You didn’t notice them until they got worse.
Conclusion
We’ve listed above only a few of the most common reactions and how allergies develop in your system. If you suspect that your child is allergic to other substances, stay safe, and have your child’s doctor refer your child to an allergist.
But the basic thing that you can do is to improve their immunity with nutritious foods and supplements.
In our family, one of the best investments I made was to buy a Himalayan salt lamp, which we put in the kids’ bedroom. Ever since that time, Achi Shawna’s sneezes have reduced. And if ever she did, she no longer had a post-nasal drip that leads to allergic cough. Read: Himalayan Salt Lamp in Our Bedroom | Health Benefits
With Covid-19 lurking around, always boost your immune system. If you have an allergy attack, it is best to stay at home. You are already immuno-compromised so if there is any kind of virus around, you are prone to get infected.
If you really need to go out, please wear your face mask and face shield properly. Never touch your face if you haven’t washed your hands.
Our Health
Meanwhile, here are other health stories in this blog.
- Take care of your teeth because it is a warzone of germs going to a dental clinic nowadays. Read: Getting a Dental Checkup During the New Normal
- Do you work online? Are your fingers getting stiff? Check this out: DIY Home Remedy for Stiff Fingers
- Get your children to eat vegetables the easy way. This Shepherd’s Pie Recipe will Get Your Kids to Eat Vegetables without them knowing it.
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Thanks for sharing this mommy.. problema ko tlaga ang allergy Lalo na nung buntis ako makalanghap lang ako ng alikabok haisst wala bahing na ko nga bahing.. tapos sa foods ung manok naman kaya kahit favorite ko manok madalang kumain inom muna gamot
I used to be allergic with so many kinds of food, including chicken. Thankfully, I have outgrown them. I used to take antihistamine before eating seafood and chicken. Now, I am just so happy that I am healed. Except for the rhinitis though.
Must have to read talaga to mommy sig. nakakabahala dn po talaga ung mga ganitong allergies kahit ako paranoid mommy kasi ung eldest ko nakakaexperience dn nyan kaya lage akong may nakastock na gamot nya incase na umaatake un. Thank you for sharing this mommy sig super helpful skn. 😍
Thank you for sharing this Mommy Sig. So helpful & informative! These kinds of allergies are so alarming talaga. Nakakaranas din ako nito every morning pag gigising ako, as in bahing ako ng bahing. Mawawala lang sya kapag iniinuman ko ng madaming tubig. Dunno why, pero I think meron talagang something sa paligid ko na nagti-triggered ng allergies ko. Nagstart ‘to since nagka-furbabies kami. Diko lang talaga sure if sa balahibo ba talaga nila.
Thank you for sharing this Mommy,naniniwala akong kahit hindi Nyo lahi na may allergy,magkaron ka talaga Neto dahil s hindi na ganon ka healthy ang ating paligid polluted na masyado ang hangin na ating nalalnghap,kaya magandang panatilihing nating malinis ang bahay magpalit madalas ng mga curtains and bedsheets pillow cases para mabawasan ang pagkkaroon ng allergies