When allergies spoil the party

Springtime means greener trees, flower buds and sunny days. But for many, it also means runny noses, puffy eyes and scratchy throats. We’ve all gone through it – and survived! But when it comes to our little ones, we’re quick to worry. We wonder: how can I prevent or treat allergy symptoms in my children?

With spring just around the corner, it always comes back to the same problem:

runny
noses

puffy
eyes

scratchy
elbows

These days, it’s hard to avoid. Among children born after 1980, one out of every three suffers from some form of allergy, be it rhinitis, asthma, conjunctivitis or a food allergy.

Quite simply, the number of allergies has doubled between 1980 and 2000 in developed countries.

Why ?

Indoor and outdoor pollution, food and stress are aggravating factors in the increase of allergic diseases.

Allergies x2
in 20 years

They arise from a combination of genes and the environment in which we live.

Babies’ environments are teeming with allergens

They’re at an age in which they play with everything – and in which everything winds up in their mouth! They may also venture into less-than-spotless places, at a time when their immune system is not yet fully developed.

That said, allergies are not always obvious to detect. In fact, allergic rhinitis can be easily confused with rhinopharyngitis.

Dust, dust mites and animal allergens are among the most common allergens, but less common factors include mold and even some plants.

While pollen allergies are very rare among young children.

Phew!

The hay fever we all know so well is caused by pollen from trees and grass in particular. It appears from February to September in children from around five years old and up.

The best practices to help our children:

Build the right environment around them.

To start, build the right environment around them. If your baby is allergic to animal hair, keep from giving in to that desire for a dog or cat.

1

Remove dust from places that trap it, such as carpets, rugs, cuddly toys and pillows.

2

Kill dust mites by putting soft toys in the freezer before washing them in the machine.

3

Also consider washing bed linens regularly at
60°C

4

Choose an anti-allergen
mattress cover.

5

Remember to air out your bedroom for at least
10 minutes a day.

6

An air purifier, such as Intense Pure Air from Rowenta, cleans air by filtering out any allergens present, thus helping you better protect your loved ones who suffer from allergies and asthma.

There’s a Rowenta air treatment appliance for you