Most of us often used the term ‘allergy problem’ on a reaction to a sneeze after having spicy food or being exposed to dust. An allergy is an abnormal response of the immune system of the human body to an allergen which can be the trigger or an agent that can trigger allergy. I don’t recall a time when my grandmother or great grandmother ever complain about any sort of allergy but in today’s world most of everyone have one or the other kind and allergies in children are quite common in today’s times. An allergy can enter your life at any age, and can continue for months or years until outgrows itself. Allergies are usually a result of both genetic susceptibility and environmental stimulation. In children this problem, if rooted out early can actually help the child to be saved from many other diseases.

Allergies in children can involve any or all of the following:
1. The nose, throat and chest involvement can be a cause of respiratory allergies.
2. The skin allergy which is caused due to effect on skin of the body.
3. The stomach and intestines when are affected give rise in gastrointestinal allergies or food allergies.
4. The eyes affected will be the ocular allergy.

Allergic symptoms depend on the body part or system involved like with a blocked or a runny Itchy nose, sneezing, hoarseness of voice, cough and wheezing or breathlessness. Asthma too is often allergic in origin. Skin Allergies manifest with redness of skin, Itching, rash, redness, scaling or peeling of skin, and burning. Stomach and Intestinal Allergies are coupled with nausea, vomiting, burping, bloating, pain in the abdomen, passing of gas and loose motions with mucus and blood. Eye Allergies cause redness of eyes, pain, and irritation.

CAUSES
Triggers when come in contact with the child and the Immune system, they cause exaggerated responses called allergies. The list of allergens cannot be counted in numbers as caused may vary from child to child. In children it is often seen that the following could be the culprits:

1.  Dust
2.  Mites
3. Pollen
4. Animal hair
5. Molds
6. Medications
7. Skin creams and powders
8. Drugs like penicillin and sulphas
9. Food items like seafood, nuts, milk, food colors and preservatives
10. Smoke
11. Insects and insect bites
12. Suspended particles in the atmosphere, etc.
13. Repeated stress
14. Early introduction of solids to infants, especially before the age of six months.

The list of potential culprits is endless, and almost anything in the atmosphere can be an allergen to a child. That is why doctors often advise parents to figure out if the child gets allergic symptoms under a specific set of circumstances. This involves looking for the same allergic symptoms after the child eats a particular food, plays in the garden, gets bitten by a bug, is in a particular room or reacts most in a particular season. In some cases allergy testing can also be done.

TREATMENT
Treatment of all allergies rests on removing the child from the allergy-causing circumstances. General measures like keeping the house, pets and upholstery clean and monitoring the ingredients of all food items that the child consumes often help reduce allergic symptoms.
Apart from allopathic medicines, many turn to homeopathy or Ayurveda for the treatment of a child’s allergies.