Symptoms of Cold Allergy in Children and Prevention

Does your child's skin appear bumpy or reddish when cold air? If so, chances are your child has a cold allergy. Allergy itself is an overreaction of the immune system against stimuli that trigger allergies, one of which is cold air. Cold allergy in children is a skin reaction to cold temperatures, both air and water, which causes redness, swelling, and itching in certain body parts. This reaction occurs when cold temperatures trigger the release of substances that play a role in the appearance of allergic symptoms, namely histamine, into the bloodstream. This condition is thought to be related to hereditary factors and viral infections. Nevertheless, the exact cause of the body reacts to cold temperatures is still unknown.

Symptoms of Cold Allergy in Children

Generally cold allergy symptoms begin to appear after the skin is exposed to cold temperatures, whether air, water, or cold objects, such as ice, for two to five minutes. Not only that, cold allergies are also more at risk of appearing in windy and humid air conditions. The following are symptoms of cold allergies in children that can occur:

• Itchy lesions occur on parts of the body exposed to cold air.
• The hands become swollen when handling cold objects.
• The skin will turn reddish color.
• Lips and throat become swollen, when consuming cold food or drinks.

In rare cases, people with cold allergies may experience anaphylactic shock, which is a severe allergic reaction characterized by fainting, decreased blood pressure, rapid heartbeat, chest palpitations, and shortness of breath.

Treatment for cold allergies

There is no specific medicine to cure cold allergies. Treatment is more aimed at alleviating the symptoms that arise and preventing the symptoms from coming back later. Doctors will generally prescribe antihistamine drugs for patients suffering from cold allergies. The following are medicines that can be used to relieve or prevent symptoms of cold allergy:

• Antihistamines

Antihistamines work by preventing histamine in the body from triggering allergic reactions. Drugs that include antihistamines include chlorpheniramine, loratadine, cetirizine, and desloratadine.

• Leukotriene antagonists

Leukotrienes are substances that play a role in the appearance of allergic symptoms and asthma attacks. Leukotriene antagonists are usually used to treat asthma, but can also be given to people with cold allergies.

• Antidepressants

This class of drugs is generally given to sufferers of anxiety disorders and depression. But in cases of cold allergies that do not improve with other treatments, antidepressant drugs can also be given to help relieve cold allergy symptoms.

• Corticosteroids

This drug is a suppressor of the immune system so that it helps reduce allergy symptoms. Corticosteroids are usually given only a short time.

To treat cold allergies with medication, it is necessary to adjust to the condition of each child, the severity of symptoms that appear, and medical indications in accordance with the results of the doctor's examination.

Ways to Prevent Cold Allergies in Children

Some things you can do to prevent the appearance of cold allergy symptoms in children are:

• Stay away from children from substances or cold temperatures. Avoid giving children food and cold drinks to prevent swelling of the airways.
• Take the medicine according to the prescription given by the doctor.
• Use thick clothes and cover the skin of the child's body, before they move in cold weather.
• If the child wants to swim, try placing the child's hands or feet in the pool and wait a few moments to see if an allergic reaction occurs. If the pool temperature is too cold and allergic reactions appear, children are not advised to swim.

Prevention methods above aim to help keep children away from cold allergy symptoms, but can not cure the allergy. Immediately consult a pediatrician if symptoms of cold allergy in children often recur, or if there are symptoms of severe cold allergies, such as shortness of breath, fainting, and the child looks nervous.