NASHVILLE - There's plenty of sniffling and sneezing this time of year in Tennessee, but for a parent sitting by a child's bedside it's not always easy to figure out whether a cold or seasonal allergies is causing their little one to suffer. Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center allergist Karl Von Tiehl says a misdiagnosis can result in using the wrong medication, one that does not treat the symptoms.
"It's critical to know what's going on with your child before treatment begins. Knowing the diagnosis first completely dictates the management of medications for that child."
Von Tiehl explains how to distinguish between allergies and the common cold.
"Allergies tend to cause nasal and ocular itch, so if the child is constantly rubbing the nose and eyes, there's a much greater chance that it's an allergy as opposed to a viral infection."
Seasonal allergy symptoms can be easily treated with over-the-counter allergy medication, Von Tiehl says, adding that children with colds should drink plenty of fluids, get rest and use medications for fever or aches. However, the Food and Drug Administration cautions that children younger than age 2 should not be taking over-the-counter cough and cold medications.
Without the proper diagnosis, the real problem can stay untreated and potentially lead to worse conditions, such as ear or sinus infections, he warns.
"Many times, allergy isn't even thought of by the parent - or even the pediatrician - until the child has had multiple summertime 'colds' or the child has needed multiple rounds of antibiotics."
People with asthma have an especially hard time coping with seasonal allergies, Von Tiehl says, so identifying allergenic triggers for bad asthmatics is absolutely critical to their management.
"They don't need to have their asthma exacerbated by environmental exposures, so parents might want to consider allergy shots, to limit the need for ongoing medication in those children."
If parents are unsure which ailment their child has, Von Tiehl suggests they contact a primary care physician.
|
Email
Print
Facebook
StumbleUpon
Google
Yahoo!