Non-food allergies in children and teenagers

Non-food allergies

Many children are allergic to ordinary things in our homes and environment, like house dust mites, insect stings and bites, pets, grasses, weeds and other pollens. Some children are also allergic to less common things like medications or latex (rubber products).

If you think your child might have allergies, talk to your GP. Your GP might refer you to an allergy and immunology specialist, who can assess your child.

Children might have reactions to some food additives and chemicals used to make different products, like carpet glue, dyes and solvents. These aren’t allergies, and they usually don’t result in severe reactions.

Mild or moderate allergic reaction

Symptoms of a mild or moderate allergic reaction usually include one or more of the following:

rash, hives or welts
swelling of the face, eyes or lips
tingling mouth
eczema, hay fever or asthma symptoms – these symptoms might be worse than usual
diarrhoea, stomach pain or vomiting.

Note that if your child has diarrhoea, stomach pain or vomiting after an insect sting, it means he’s having a severe allergic reaction.

What to do about mild to moderate reactions
If you think your child is having a mild to moderate allergic reaction, you can give your child a dose of antihistamine.

In fact, having an antihistamine in your home’s first aid kit is a good idea.

It’s best to use antihistamine that won’t make your child sleepy. Your pharmacist or GP can advise you on the most appropriate brand for your child.

Mild and moderate allergic reactions are common, but deaths from allergic reactions are rare. Deaths can happen when there’s a delay in giving life-saving medication to the person having the reaction.

Severe allergic reaction or anaphylaxis

A severe allergic reaction is called anaphylaxis. Symptoms might include one or more of the following:

difficult or noisy breathing
tongue and throat swelling or tightness
trouble talking or a hoarse voice
a wheeze or persistent cough
persistent dizziness or fainting
paleness and floppiness (for young children)
low blood pressure
diarrhoea, stomach pain or vomiting after an insect bite or sting.

Anaphylaxis is a life-threatening allergic reaction and needs urgent medical attention. If your child is having an anaphylactic reaction, first lay her flat or keep her sitting. Don’t let her stand or walk around. Next use an adrenaline auto-injector like EpiPen® if one is available. Then call an ambulance – phone 000.

Medication allergies

Your child might develop a rash or swelling when taking prescription medications like antibiotics. This might be because he has an allergy to the medication. But sometimes rashes and swelling might be caused by an underlying infection rather than an allergy.

If your child has diarrhoea or vomiting after taking medication, it’s probably not an allergic reaction. It’s more likely to be caused by illness or the effect of the medications on the stomach.

Reactions to vaccinations at the site where they’re injected are common and usually include pain, redness and swelling. Your child might also get a mild fever. True allergic reactions to vaccines are very rare.

If your child has a reaction to a medication, it’s best to talk with your GP.

Dust mite allergy

Dust mites live in almost every Australian home. They live in warm, moist places like mattresses, pillows, soft toys, soft furnishings and carpet.

The usual symptoms of dust mite allergy include hay fever, eczema and asthma. Also, if your child’s nose gets blocked, she might snore.

Dust mite allergies aren’t seasonal – they happen throughout the year.

Prevention
You can’t get rid of all of the dust mites in your home, but you can reduce their numbers and get rid of the allergens they produce. It’s best to focus on your child’s bed and bedroom. You can reduce dust mites in these areas by:

covering your child’s bed with a dust mite cover, which will keep dust mites away from your child when he’s sleeping
washing sheets and pillow cases every week in 60°C water
washing blankets, doonas and dust mite covers every two months in hot water
removing all soft toys from the bedroom, or washing them weekly in eucalyptus oil.

Other things you can do include:

removing clutter and keeping your home as clean as possible
vacuuming carpets frequently using a good vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter
keeping humidity levels down in your home using kitchen and bathroom exhaust fans and keeping windows open
trying not to have carpets in your home where possible
trying not to cover furniture with cloth – for example, avoid draping rugs and throws over a couch.

Pet allergies

Children can become allergic to the hair, dander and saliva of animals like cats, dogs, horses and rabbits.

Allergies to animals usually cause symptoms in the skin, nose or eyes from contact with the animal dander. These allergies are most likely to cause itchy skin, hives, an itchy, runny nose, and itchy eyes. They can also make your child’s hay fever or asthma worse.

Prevention
If your family pet is the problem, the best way for your child to avoid contact is to keep the animal outside. Don’t let the animal sleep on your child’s bed or in your child’s bedroom.

If your child has reactions to other people’s pets, you could give her a dose of antihistamine about 30 minutes before you visit a house with an animal that your child reacts to. Your child should also avoid touching the animal she reacts to. This will usually be enough to keep symptoms under control.

Changing your child’s clothes as soon as you get home and getting him into the shower might stop the allergen getting into your house.

Allergies to grasses, weeds and pollens

Allergies to pollens, grasses and weeds are common. These allergies usually cause hay fever symptoms, which sometimes include runny, itchy eyes and nose.

These allergies tend to be worse in the spring and summer months, when grasses and other plants are flowering.

Some children can develop skin rashes after touching grass, or their eczema might get worse. This is usually because their skin is irritated by contact with the grass. It’s probably not an allergic reaction.

Prevention
It’s best to reduce your child’s exposure to grasses, weeds and pollens by:

monitoring the pollen forecast for days with high pollen counts
keeping windows and doors shut and staying inside on days with high pollen counts and windy days
getting your child to have a bath or shower after playing outside, especially if your child feels itchy.

Latex allergy

A latex allergy could be the problem if your child develops redness, a rash or swelling after contact with a product that contains latex. This could be balloons, rubber gloves, baby bottle teats or dummies.

If your child has a latex allergy, you’ll need to tell all medical, dental and other health care professionals who see your child. They must avoid using latex products around her.

Some people have an anaphylactic reaction to latex. If your child experiences any of the signs and symptoms of anaphylaxis, lay him flat, give him an adrenaline auto-injector (if available) and call an ambulance – phone 000.

Insect allergies

Insect stings and bites are common, especially if your child spends a lot of time outdoors. An insect sting or bite usually causes only temporary pain and redness around the sting. In some children, though, the reaction can be worse.

In Australia, your child is most likely to experience stings from bees, wasps and stinging ants, and bites from ticks. Bites from mosquitoes and march flies are also very common, but severe reactions to these are very rare.

The usual symptoms of an insect sting are sharp, stinging pain at the bite or sting site, and a white mark surrounded by a small, red, swollen area. The pain usually disappears within a few hours.

Reactions to insect bites and stings
Different children get different amounts of swelling, welts or hives after insect bites. Swelling can sometimes increase for a couple of days.

A very small number of children have anaphylaxis after insect stings or bites.

Treatment
Insect stings can be treated by:

removing the sting if it’s still in the skin (flick out the sting if possible – grabbing it can squeeze extra venom into the sting site)
washing the sting or bite site
applying a cold pack to the sting or bite site
giving your child a dose of an antihistamine if the area is very itchy
giving your child paracetamol or ibuprofen in recommended doses if the area is painful.

If your child has symptoms of anaphylaxis, lay her flat, give her an adrenaline auto-injector (if available) and call an ambulance – phone 000.

Your allergist or immunologist might also talk with you about the benefits of allergen immunotherapy if your child is at risk of anaphylaxis from the stings of insects or ants. This treatment typically takes 3-5 years to complete but is usually very effective.

With tick bites, disturbing the tick can lead to the injection of allergen and trigger an allergic reaction. If your child is at risk of anaphylaxis from tick bites, seek urgent medical attention. Do not attempt to remove the tick yourself.

Prevention
Prevent insect stings and bites to your child by:

getting him to wear shoes, long sleeves and pants when he’s outside (light-coloured clothing is less attractive to bees and wasps), and gloves if he’s gardening
being aware of areas where insects are very active – for example, near beehives or around swimming pools
having insect nests removed by professionals
not leaving canned drinks uncovered when you’re outside because wasps and bees can crawl inside.

Chemical allergies and intolerances

Chemicals in common items like metal jewellery, clothing dye, adhesive dressings and glues can cause allergic reactions of the skin. This is called contact dermatitis. Your child might also react to creams, ointments or sunscreen used on her skin. These reactions are usually not life-threatening.

If your family has a history of sensitive skin, you could try using hypoallergenic products on your child’s skin. Trying products on a small area of skin first is a good idea.

Keep your house as ‘smell free’ as possible by minimising the use of perfumed cleaning products or air fresheners. These can irritate your child’s skin and nose.