Allergy and allergy-related health issues are among the leading chronic diseases among infants and children, reports the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, adding that an estimated 4 to 6 percent of children have food allergies, 8 to 10 percent have asthma, and 15 to 25 percent have allergic rhinitis (hay fever).(1)

According to a major medical center, symptoms of allergies in children may include:

• Stuffy nose, sneezing, itching, or runny nose, and itching in ears or roof of mouth
• Red, itchy, watery eyes
• Red, itchy, dry skin
• Hives or itchy welts
• Itchy rash
• Asthma symptoms, such as shortness of breath, coughing, wheezing(2)

Children may react to a runny nose with something called “the allergic salute” – swiping their fingers or the palm of their hand upward along their nose. “When done habitually over long periods of time, the allergic salute can cause a horizontal line to form above the nostrils. This line is known as the allergic or nasal crease.”(3)

Allergy testing may involve percutaneous and intradermal skin tests, and sometimes blood tests. “If an allergy is found, the allergist will choose the most suitable therapeutic interventions, which can include avoidance strategies, medication, diet modification and allergy shots.”(1)