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Back2School • Dust irritation: reducing dust in the home will be helpful to most allergic family members. At school, children with allergy problems should sit away from the blackboards to avoid irritation from chalk dust. • School pets: furry animals in school may cause problems for allergic children. If your child has more problems while at school, it could be the class pet. • Asthma and physical education: sports are a big part of the school day. Having asthma does not mean eliminating these activities. Often medication administered by using an inhaler is prescribed before exercise to control their symptoms. Children with asthma and other allergic diseases should be able to participate in any sport the child chooses – provided the doctor’s advice is followed.
and irritable noses and wheezy chests, carry a significant burden of ill health. Dr Paul Carson of the Slievemore Clinic Ireland says, “If the nasal allergy is especially troublesome the child may get intermittent hearing loss. One day he’s bright and alert in class, inter-reacting and co-operating. Next day he seems distant and detached, ignoring questions or not fully grasping what’s going on. The teachers are at a loss to explain these variations in attentiveness and the boy’s parents can’t quite understand the situation either. It’s not uncommon for these children to be labelled ‘difficult’.
(factual, conceptual and knowledge application) compared with healthy children. • May suffer sleep apnoea, snoring and disturbed sleep pattern. This in turn leads to daytime drowsiness, grumpy mood and poor school performance. • In severe cases it may cause or at least contribute to attention deficit hyper-activity disorder (ADHD). • May cause impaired hearing if fluid collects in the inner ear (medical term: serous otitis media).
“Nasal allergy also provokes intense fatigue. If an affected child is not treated he misses out on ordinary children’s activities and can be isolated and ignored.
• May suffer repeated ‘head colds’ that go down to the chest (which is really an untreated nose and sinus allergy triggering early asthma).
“The term Allergic Irritability Syndrome (ARS) has been coined to explain the many unpleasant symptoms and features children with untreated nasal allergy show.”
• Nasal blockage and irritation (sneezing, rubbing at the nose to relieve itch); dark circles around the eyes with puffiness of the lower lids.
Children with un-recognised ARS have:
• Poor concentration; disruptive behaviour and unexplained mood swings.
• A significantly impaired quality of life. • Significant learning difficulties. • A lower ability to achieve different types of knowledge
Below are the common effects of persisting nasal allergy in children. Nasal Congestion Sometimes a child’s nose is
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congested (obstructed) to the point that he or she breathes through the mouth, especially while sleeping. If the congestion is left untreated this forces air currents through the mouth. The strength of the air changes the way the soft bones of the face grow. The features may become abnormally elongated in a pattern called ‘adenoidal face’. This causes the teeth to come in at an improper angle as well as creating an overbite. Braces or other dental treatments may be necessary to correct these problems. Nasal allergy and ear infections Nasal allergy can lead to inflammation in the ear and may cause fluid accumulation which in turn can trigger ear infections and decreased hearing. If this happens when the child is learning to talk, poor speech development may result. Hayfever can also cause earaches and ear itching, popping and fullness (‘stuffed up ears’). Nasal allergy while at school Nasal allergy can last throughout the school year. For some kids this means absences due to allergy flares. Here are some of the problems to look out for so that the condition can be properly diagnosed and treated, as well as several suggestions for helping the allergic child.
• Dry air: with the onset of cold weather using a humidifier to accompany forced air heating systems may be helpful in some regions of the country. Adding a small amount of moisture to dry air makes breathing easier for most people. However, care should be taken not to allow the humidity above 40%, which promotes the growth of dust mites and mould. • Change in behaviour: children cannot always vocalise their annoying or painful symptoms. Their discomfort may manifest as behaviour problems. Be on the alert for possible allergies if your child has bouts of irritability, temper tantrums or decreased ability to concentrate in school. These may be signs of ‘allergic irritability syndrome’ caused by nose and ear symptoms in allergic children. Sometimes allergic children are badly behaved and have short attention spans. Needless to say their schoolwork suffers. When a child’s allergies are properly treated, his symptoms, behaviour and school performance can improve dramatically. Urge parents to check the expiration dates on their children’s EpiPens Sports and Injuries It is important to have a healthy supply of allergy products on hand, such as nasal sprays and antihistamines. Exercise-induced asthma can also surface and so pharmacies should advise on the importance of having a rescue inhaler on hand, both at home and in school. This is expecially true for children ages 4 to 9.