Its Fall: What Can I Expect As Far As My Childs Allergies?
Last updated on September 21st, 2024 at 03:24 pm
We are currently in the middle of the allergy season created by ragweed. We had thought we had made it through the spring and summer allergy season with our immune system health in good shape when all of a sudden it seems to return with a vengeance: watery, itchy eyes, constantly clear runny itchy nose, clearing your throat and trying in vain to scratch the back part of your palate with the back of your tongue. Here we are again, but in the spring/ summer seasons this was due to trees and grass. Every season has its own list of usual suspects to create allergy symptoms.
The end of summer and beginning of fall sees the end of the ragweed season and the onset of more indoor things to spark the symptoms of allergy. When families start to close up their homes for the colder weather to come, many allergens are trapped indoors such as molds and dust. Many people are allergic to just these factors, made worse by the onset of school and the ability of children to begin bring home the “bug of the week”. Colds become more frequent and the onset of asthmatic symptoms add to the coughs, runny noses and itchiness, along with such factors as spending more time indoors with your furry pets. The leaves are beginning to fall and the wind is beginning to whip the leaves around and fragment them causing a different kind of dust.
Added to that, as families begin to turn the heat on in their homes, two things happen; all the dust that has collected in the ducts now is blown into the indoor environment to mix with all the other allergens and the indoor air begins to dry out. This potpourri of particles is just about everywhere, just waiting to irritate your respiratory tract if you happen to have allergies.
The symptoms of allergic problems do not necessarily change with the seasons and probably the same medications your Doctor recommended in the Spring will also be effective, but if you have difficulty controlling the problem, get in touch with your healthcare provider – they can help you make sure your children are not bothered with these symptoms in school.
Can My 12-Year Old Catch Chickenpox While Baby-sitting?
Last updated on April 27th, 2012 at 11:04 am
Chickenpox is a viral infection that we primarily recognize as a disease with a very uncomfortable, itchy rash. It can sometimes lead to serious side effects, including pneumonia and bacterial infections. Fortunately, a vaccine was developed in the 1970s for the prevention of chickenpox and has been routinely used in the United States since 1995. It will prevent the disease in 85 to 90 percent of exposed children, and the protection lasts for 20 years.
Your daughter is certainly susceptible at her age. If she was immunized, she should be protected from this exposure. If not, she could still get a dose of vaccine within 72 hours of exposure, which should prevent any serious manifestations of the disease. But it won’t stop her from getting sick.
