HEALTH
Allergies begone!
Words Farhan Shah Photos Xepa-Soul Pattinson
Childhood is an amazing period of fun, learning and discovery.
Unfortunately, the bane of allergies can dampen this vibrant
growing years. We explore the world of sneezes, rashes and
itches with pharmaceutical expert Xepa-Soul Pattinson.
We’ve landed a man on the moon and
learned how to split the atom. But,
with all of the scientific breakthroughs
we’ve made in the past few decades,
we still haven’t come to a conclusion
about the origins of one of nature’s
most mystifying conundrums –
childhood allergies. Most scientists
agree that our unique genome
sequences are responsible for making
us susceptible to developing allergies
but are unsure about how these genes
interact with the environment they
grow up in.
BREAKING THE MYTHS
Due to their mysterious nature,
many myths have sprung up
concerning childhood allergies. Here
are the two most common untruths:
1
CHILDREN WILL OUTGROW
ALLERGIES
While there are some children who will
outgrow allergies, most will still retain
the allergy even in adulthood, albeit
in a milder form. Typically though,
allergies to nuts, fish and shellfish tend
to be a lifelong condition. Furthermore,
some children might outgrow one
allergy only to develop another.
A MOTHER’S DIET DURING
PREGNANCY CAN PREVENT OR
EXACERBATE THE DEVELOPMENT OF
FOOD ALLERGIES
There have been numerous studies
but scientists are still divided
over whether the avoidance or
incorporation of certain foods while
pregnant or nursing can influence
an infant’s allergies. However, the
American Academy of Pediatrics
encourages mothers, whenever
possible, to breastfeed until the
baby is six-months-old as there is a
statistical trend of such babies being
unaffected by allergic diseases.
ADVICE FOR PARENTS
So, what can parents do to help their
children who are already suffering
from allergies?
The best strategy is proper
diagnosis. Understand the specific
types of food that trigger the
allergies and do your best to make
sure that your child avoids them.
Accidental reactions are mostly
unavoidable – half of children
diagnosed with a food allergy will
have an accidental reaction within 18
months – so, be ready to act quickly
if it does occur.
You can also stock up on
antihistamines. These reduce
or block the chemicals called
histamines that your child’s body
produces when it comes into contact
with the allergic trigger, thus
stopping the allergy symptoms.
One of our top choices is ADEZIO,
a second-generation, non-drowsy
antihistamine, which is clinically
proven to provide fast acting relief
for allergy and cold symptoms not
just for your child but you as well.
The best bit: it comes in tasty
lychee flavours, making it easy for
your child to consume. ADEZIO is
available at the pharmacy dispensing
counter of Guardian, Watsons,
Unity, Mustafa, and independent
pharmacies and clinics.
MAHP 1300564
The number of children suffering from
allergies not just in Singapore but
around the world have been increasing
and doctors are not exactly sure why.
The scientific community has centred
on something called the hygiene
hypothesis: “our immune system is not
being stimulated the w