Stating that the risk of developing allergies in children with genetic predisposition increases by 60-80 percent, Prof. Dr. Cem Hasan Razi from Medicana Health Group Pediatric Allergy Department drew attention to the effects of allergic diseases on children.
Experts state that changes in nutrition, climate and environmental factors have led to an increase in many diseases. Emphasizing that one of the increasing diseases is allergic disorders in children, experts state that allergic disorders seriously affect the quality of daily life of children and can lead to significant health problems in the long term. Stating that parents are especially concerned about whether allergies are genetically inherited and what should be done to reduce the risk of allergies in their children, Medicana International Ankara Hospital Pediatric Allergy Specialist Prof. Dr. Cem Hasan Razi made explanations about the measures to be taken against allergies to guide families.
“The risk of developing allergies in children with a family history of allergies can be up to 80 percent”
Stating that the risk of allergy is higher in children with genetic predisposition, Prof. Dr. Cem Hasan Razi said, “In case of allergy in one of the parents, the probability of the child developing allergies varies between 30-50 percent, while this rate can increase up to 60-80 percent if both parents have allergies.”
Children's health, education and social life are also affected
Emphasizing that the most common types of allergic diseases are asthma, allergic rhinitis, eczema and food allergies, Prof. Dr. Razi emphasized that these diseases can seriously affect the quality of life of children. “Children's educational life, sleep patterns and social relationships can be negatively affected by these diseases. Therefore, early diagnosis and treatment are of great importance.”
“Pay attention to allergy symptoms”
Prof. Dr. Razi stated that attention should be paid to allergy symptoms in children and said, “Symptoms such as itchy nose and eyes, nasal congestion, snoring, redness and watery eyes, shortness of breath and cough, itchy rash in children may be harbingers of allergic rhinitis. In addition, itching, redness and dryness of the skin are among the signs of eczema. Asthma symptoms include cough, shortness of breath and chest tightness. In food allergies, serious reactions such as skin rashes, nausea, vomiting and even anaphylaxis can be seen.”
“Environmental factors increase the risk of allergy”
Pointing out that in addition to genetic predisposition, environmental factors also play an important role in the development of allergy, Prof. Dr. Razi continued his speech as follows:
“Environmental factors such as air pollution, cigarette smoke and some food additives in early childhood can increase the risk of allergy. Therefore, it is of great importance for parents to take these risk factors into consideration and protect their children.”
9 suggestions to reduce the risk of allergy
Underlining that living conditions play an important role in the development of allergies, Prof. Dr. Cem Hasan Razi listed the recommendations for families to reduce the risk of allergy development in children as follows:
“Regular cleaning and ventilation of the house is very important. Do not expose your child to the odor of cleaning materials while cleaning. Avoid scented materials, make sure that the cleaners absorb dust well. If your child is allergic, take measures to reduce the humidity in the house. Make sure that there are no leaky, blistered areas in the house, on the walls and especially in the bathroom. For children with house dust allergies, avoid carpets, too much furniture, large wardrobes and a large bookcase in the bedroom. Use cotton or fiber products instead of woolen mattresses, pillows and quilts. Use rugs instead of carpets in the child's room. Children who are allergic to animals and animal hair should stay away from the animal they are allergic to. If you already have a pet at home, you can take precautions by keeping it away from the bedroom. Do not allow them to consume food with additives and fast food. Find out if your daycare child has food allergies and avoid feeding them these foods. House flowers are undoubtedly attractive in appearance. However, if you have flowers in your home, pay attention to whether there is mold at the bottom of the flowers. Because molds that can form at the base of flowers can trigger allergies. Also take care not to keep flowers in your child's room. Since cigarette smoke is an important factor that triggers allergies, do not smoke or allow smoking in the house, even if your child is in another room at the time. Since allergic symptoms may increase in the presence of pollen allergy, try not to go out especially in risky environments. While it is beneficial to use a mask on days when pollen is high, make sure that he/she washes his/her hands and face after coming from outside. Change their clothes and dress them in clean clothes. It is especially recommended that children with asthma should get a flu vaccine. It is beneficial to give the flu vaccine to those who go to kindergarten or to children who are cared for at home and have siblings who go to kindergarten or school. In addition, wearing a mask to your child in crowded places also prevents the transmission of viruses.”
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