Allergies in children

Posljednjih desetljeća pojava alergijskih bolesti sve je češća. Od alergija pati gotovo 25% stanovništva razvijenih zemalja, dok u Sjedinjenim Američkom državama svaka peta osoba pati od alergija. Smatra se kako alergijske bolesti, kao bolesti razvijenog svijeta dosežu gotovo epidemijske razmjere. Uzroci alergija su alergeni, tvari s kojima je tijelo stalno u kontaktu, a najčešće ih udišemo, unosimo hranom, pićem i lijekovima. Za većinu ljudi su to bezopasne tvari, dok će se kod nekih pojaviti alergijska reakcija. Na alergen tijelo može reagirati neposredno nakon kontakta ili nakon par dana. Alergijske reakcije mogu varirati od blagih, pa sve do onih jakih i po život opasnih reakcija. Pojava alergija sve češće se javlja kod novorođenčadi i male djece te predstavlja najčešće kronično oboljenje u djetinjstvu. U početku se alergije kod djece pojavljuju u obliku nutritivnih alergija, s vremenom se javlja atopijski dermatits, a zatim alergijski rinitis i astma. Bolest je u većini slučajeva naslijeđena od strane roditelja. Na nastanak bolesti utječu vanjski ili unutarnji faktori. Unutarnji faktori su oni faktori na koje ne možemo utjecati, a to su genetički faktori. Vanjski faktori su izloženost alergenu, stresu, način prehrane i druge slične stvari koje možemo kontrolirati. Tipični simptomi kod pojave alergija su curenje, začepljenost i svrab nosa, svrab i oteklina očiju, otežano disanje, kihanje, kašljanje, promuklost, glavobolja, kožni ekcemi, povraćanje i proljev. Obzirom da je svaka alergijska reakcija izazvana posebnim alergenom, kod osoba s navedenim simptomima potrebno je provesti alergološka testiranja. U medicini postoji više tehnika izvođenja alergoloških testiranja. Najčešće se provode testovi iz krvi i kožni testovi. Testiranje provodi liječnik, specijalist, a rezultati će pomoći u postavljanju dijagnoze.In recent decades, the occurrence of allergic diseases has become more and more common. Almost 25% of the population of developed countries suffer from allergies, while in the United States every fifth person suffers from allergies. It is considered that allergic diseases, as diseases of the developed world, reach almost epidemic proportions. The causes of allergies are allergens, substances with which the body is constantly in contact, and most often we inhale them, ingest them with food, drink and medicines. For most people, these are harmless substances, while some people will have an allergic reaction. The body can react to the allergen immediately after contact or after a few days. Allergic reactions can vary from mild to severe and life-threatening reactions. Allergies occur more and more frequently in newborns and young children and are the most common chronic disease in childhood. Initially, allergies in children appear in the form of nutritional allergies, with time atopic dermatitis appears, followed by allergic rhinitis and asthma. In most cases, the disease is inherited from the parents. The occurrence of the disease is influenced by external or internal factors. Internal factors are those factors that we cannot influence, namely genetic factors. External factors are exposure to allergens, stress, diet and other similar things that we can control. Typical symptoms of allergies are runny, blocked and itchy nose, itchy and swollen eyes, difficulty breathing, sneezing, coughing, hoarseness, headache, skin eczema, vomiting and diarrhea. Considering that every allergic reaction is caused by a specific allergen, it is necessary to carry out allergy tests for people with the above symptoms. In medicine, there are several techniques for performing allergy testing. Most often, blood tests and skin tests are performed. The testing is carried out by a doctor, a specialist, and the results will help in establishing a diagnosi