Beyond Diagnosis and Treatment

After a diagnosis, the people who have helped you – at your GP practice and at the hospital or clinic – will keep on helping you. However, gaining a diagnosis and getting treatment is only part of what can be done to control an allergy.

Whilst prescribed treatments are central to effective allergy management, there are many things we can do ourselves to help to reduce children’s allergy symptoms. Understanding how allergens affect our children can lead us to make changes in our environments and lifestyles to reduce the impact of allergens. Less contact with the allergens means fewer allergic reactions and reduced symptoms, and this can mean fewer treatments and medications.

Many places and activities can at first seem to be no-go areas when a child has allergy. However, difficult situations and environments can be navigated successfully when you plan ahead for both everyday activities, such as nursery or school, and special occasions, such as holidays and parties.

Central to all of this, though, is the child with allergy. Suffering from symptoms, getting a diagnosis and then coping with new and often tricky treatments can be unsettling and upsetting. This initial upset can be reduced and children can be taught to understand and cope with their condition on a long-term basis.

Other people can make a difference to how effectively a child with any chronic condition copes, and it is no different for children with allergy. Whether it is prejudice concerning what a child with asthma can achieve in sport, or bullying due to other people’s ignorance about eczema, children can suffer from these additional distressing aspects of allergy. This can be avoided and stopped, and with continued support from Allergy UK you can be updated on information that will help both you and your child to feel more in control.

Finally, children’s allergies may continue into adulthood. As parents we are initially in charge of dealing with symptoms and treatments. If a young child can be educated to understand their condition they will be able to grow up to take charge of their allergies and take care of their health for life.

We hope that the information about growing up with allergy on this website will help you to find ways which suit you and your family to live with allergy.

Last updated: March 2012