All people may be allergic

Press, 25 January 1989, Page 13

All people may be allergic

Allergy is a state in which a person is highly sensitive to a particular substance called the allergen. Every time the person comes into contact with it, either by touching, inhaling or eating it, part of the body reacts against it, giving the symptoms of allergic reaction. This reaction presents itself as one of the allergic disorders such as asthma, eczema, hay fever and so on, depending on which is the shock organ of the body — bronchial tubes, skin, lining of the nose, etc. All people may be allergic, but some are more easily affected than others.

Asthma may occur for the first time at any age, but is most common in the first decade of life. It is more common in boys than in girls and is often associated with eczema.

The allergic substance causes the lining of the bronchial tubes to swell and the muscle layers to contract. This narrows the

air passages and breathing becomes difficult.

Air can be breathed in without difficulty, but expiration is forced and prolonged and it is accompainied by the classical wheeze.

Breathing is rapid and the young child is often frightened, thinking that he is going to suffocate.

Attacks can often occur in bed. The child wakens with wheezing and sometimes an attack is preceded by a period of irritability and constipation.

During an attack, mucus is secreted and is later coughed up as sputum. Attacks may last from a few hours to several days and may occur at greatly varying intervals. Asthma often disappears completely by the time a child reaches puberty.

Two-thirds of children with asthma have a family history of allergy. Certain foods are likely to cause asthma in infancy

and inhaled substances such as dust are more likely causes in older children.

Emotion and upsets can lead to an attack in an asthmatic child and the importance of emotional disturbance as a factor in precipitating attacks cannot be too strongly emphasised. Never panic over an attack of asthma, for a parent’s anxiety will make the child’s condition worse. Allow the child to' sit up in bed, if possible leaning forwad on a bed table. Give reassurance, but do not fuss. The room should be warm and moist, with a window open. Your doctor will prescribe medicine or tablets to be taken No diet restrictions are necessary unless a specific food is known to cause allergy. When asthma is severe, physical exercises with emphasis on breathing can be of real value.

— Copright DUO, 1988