You should seek medical advice if your child develops any signs of an allergic reaction so that they can receive the most appropriate treatment. Even if their symptoms are very mild or you think you know what they are allergic to, it's important to get a proper diagnosis. This is because some allergies get worse over time or you may find that your child is also allergic to other things that you didn't know about, if your child has eczema or asthma, insist on allergy testing to check whether or not an allergy could be triggering their symptoms.Diagnosing allergies is important to be able to effectively treat the allergy and stop it re-occurring
Be prepared
It isn't always easy to pinpoint allergy triggers, so it helps if you do some research before you consult a healthcare professional, your child's medical history will help to decide whether or not allergy tests could be helpful, so make sure you provide as many details as possible.
Essential questions
A healthcare professional is; likely to ask you the following questions to help identify the specific allergens triggering your child's symptoms:
How long has your child had the symptoms?
What were the symptoms?
How severe were they?
Has you child had these symptoms before?
Can you think of anything that may have triggered them, e.g. a new food or high pollen count?
Do the symptoms happen at a particular time of day or in a particular environment, i.e. home or school?
Do they occur all year round or just at certain times?
Did you give your child any treatment when the symptoms occurred; if so what did you give them and what happened?
Is there a family history of allergies, eczema, hayfever or asthma?
Keep a diary
Make a note of the following each time your child develops the symptoms:
1.what your child has recently eaten, touched or breathed
2.where you were at the time
3.what time of day it was
4.what form the symptoms took
Research your family history
Allergies tend to run in families, so if you, your partner or your other children have any allergies, write them down, including the triggers and symptoms, ask any grandparent too, as you may not remember that you had an allergy or eczema as a very young child or how severe it was.
Who to approach
A pharmacist or GP is likely to be your first port of call for diagnosing allergies, the healthcare professional you choose may depend on your child's symptoms and their severity.
Your local pharmacist: increasing numbers of pharmacist are receiving allergy training through Allergy UK `s Accredited Pharmacy Allergy Screening Service, as the service isn't available on the NHS, you will have to pay for the pharmacy consultation and a finger-prick blood test for most common allergens, the test involves taking a small drop of blood from your child's finger with a sterile single-use lancet( needle), and the results are available in around 30 minutes, once you have the test results, the pharmacist may give you advice on avoiding the allergens or suggest that you consult tour child's GP
You can find your nearest accredited pharmacist through Allergy UK`s website, look for two valid certificates on display in the pharmacy to prove that the pharmacist has completed the full training.
Be prepared
It isn't always easy to pinpoint allergy triggers, so it helps if you do some research before you consult a healthcare professional, your child's medical history will help to decide whether or not allergy tests could be helpful, so make sure you provide as many details as possible.
Essential questions
A healthcare professional is; likely to ask you the following questions to help identify the specific allergens triggering your child's symptoms:
How long has your child had the symptoms?
What were the symptoms?
How severe were they?
Has you child had these symptoms before?
Can you think of anything that may have triggered them, e.g. a new food or high pollen count?
Do the symptoms happen at a particular time of day or in a particular environment, i.e. home or school?
Do they occur all year round or just at certain times?
Did you give your child any treatment when the symptoms occurred; if so what did you give them and what happened?
Is there a family history of allergies, eczema, hayfever or asthma?
Keep a diary
Make a note of the following each time your child develops the symptoms:
1.what your child has recently eaten, touched or breathed
2.where you were at the time
3.what time of day it was
4.what form the symptoms took
Research your family history
Allergies tend to run in families, so if you, your partner or your other children have any allergies, write them down, including the triggers and symptoms, ask any grandparent too, as you may not remember that you had an allergy or eczema as a very young child or how severe it was.
Who to approach
A pharmacist or GP is likely to be your first port of call for diagnosing allergies, the healthcare professional you choose may depend on your child's symptoms and their severity.
Your local pharmacist: increasing numbers of pharmacist are receiving allergy training through Allergy UK `s Accredited Pharmacy Allergy Screening Service, as the service isn't available on the NHS, you will have to pay for the pharmacy consultation and a finger-prick blood test for most common allergens, the test involves taking a small drop of blood from your child's finger with a sterile single-use lancet( needle), and the results are available in around 30 minutes, once you have the test results, the pharmacist may give you advice on avoiding the allergens or suggest that you consult tour child's GP
You can find your nearest accredited pharmacist through Allergy UK`s website, look for two valid certificates on display in the pharmacy to prove that the pharmacist has completed the full training.
Your GP: your GP can deal with most common allergies by providing appropriate medicines and advice, if your child has a sever allergic reaction or non-specific symptom, such as a rash or wheezing, you should consult your GP straightaway, your GP may decide that your child will benefit from being referred to a specialist NHS allergy clinic, therefore it is always important to get any rash or symptom sorted out as quick as possible, so if there is a problem always get it checked out. It is so important to get diagnosing allergies early on so treatment can be given at an early age to prevent the longterm effects of any allergy.http://www.allergy-zero.com/
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