How Children Get Nasal Allergies
Nasal allergies affect an estimated 40 million Americans, including 40 percent of American children.
Allergic reactions occur when the immune system overreacts to a substance that is not genuinely harmful. The substances that cause these allergic reactions—called allergens—include pollen, mold, or animal dander that we are exposed to in a variety of ways.
When children show nasal allergy symptoms, their immune system is reacting to an allergen by creating an antibody designed to fight that allergen. This antibody causes the release of histamine and other chemical mediators, which in turn cause inflammation. The result is symptoms, like congestion, sneezing, and an itchy or runny nose.
Children's Likelihood of Inheriting Allergies
Experts believe that, like hair color or height, the susceptibility to allergies may be inherited. But, even if a child inherits a tendency toward allergies, other conditions must also be met for allergic sensitivity to be developed.
Research suggests that several factors are involved in the development of an allergy. A child must have first inherited the genes for susceptibility, then come in contact with the specific allergens he or she is genetically susceptible to, and finally, have sustained a certain amount of, and length of, exposure to these allergens. This may explain why some children develop allergies over time.
As to the likelihood of inheriting susceptibility to allergies, if one parent had allergies, a child has about a 30 percent chance of inheriting allergic tendencies. If both parents had allergies, the child's chance of having allergies increases to about 70 percent.
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