How to help them to understand more about this disease?
The BBC news report that the number of allergies in UK is increasing. It showed from the research published in 2007 and charity Allergy UK. These kinds of allergies occur when the immune system in the body mistakenly identifies harmless substances as if were a threat to the body. According to Dr.Adam Fox, from Guy's and St Thomas's Hospital, who helped write the guidelines on how to deal with allergies in children, says there is no answer: "There are a lots of theories, unfortunately lots of them have holes in them and we don't really know the answer." ( P8). After speaking to specialists, The house of the Lords Science and Technology Committee suggested that hygiene theory, mother's diet, allergen exposure and atmospheric pollution could contribute allergies, but whatever the reasons, the GP remains the first point as a suspected allergy.The new guidelines give the detailed advice how to recognise symptoms like hay fever, asthma, and eczema. Diagnosing an allergy can include elimating foods for a while to see the symstoms will be gone or not, or do the blood test and meet the specialist. But Allergy UK said that the guidelines is not enough, it want doctors to set up specialist allergy services so parents who concerned about alergy will have more understanding and get more explaination.
I totally agreed with Allergy UK, parents who have children with allergy specially with food allergy, need more information and explanation about this disease. As you know, we can't expect all parents go to internet and search in google to find the answer. Parents who have information from internet still need to consult with doctor. Parents allways go to GP if the child is sick. When the sickness is related with allergy, parents need more time and service from the GP or children department in hospital. The allergy service can give defination about allergy, see the symptoms from the child directly, and give the choices to parents to decide which treatments that they want to do. Parents need to know the cost to treat, how to prevent in the long term so the symptoms will not come back. For example, if the child have to stop eating wheat, parents need to know what kind of food can replace it in order to get the nutrition. The child can't eat bread, cake or cookies because of the ingredients has wheat.
When children have allergy, it's very difficult for them to eat outside or school. Parents have to inform the school about this. Children sometimes feel sad why they can't be like others. Not every school will help because of the budget and time. When the time that family have to eat in the mall, the child can't eat like ice cream or pizza. It really make the child look different that others. Food for allergic children usually is more expensive than normal.
What do you think? Do you have any input? How about people who are poor?
References:
Food allergy ( 2011, September 1). In Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 10:43, September 24, 2011 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food_allergy
The rise and rise of allergies ( 2011, February 23). BBC News. Retrieved September 24, 2011 from http: bbc.co.uk/news/health-12550300
____
Muryati,
ReplyDeleteI can feel the love for your children in your blog, and I got much information about allergies. Especially, your detail examples are very excellent so I can understand easily what you are talking about. There are many people around me who are suffering from nasal allergies,too. Honestly, when I saw them, I didn't think that is a big problem. However, after reading your blog, I realised I was wrong. I dind't think of the difficulties which you mentioned above, which people with food allergy have to deal with. Who do I have to appreciate my health, my parents or God? Or Me?
I have an allergy too but not too much. I like your example about food allergy. I think it is difficult for children. If parents know about it in early, they can control their children on time. Also, childrens will feel normal because they know that they can eat or not.
ReplyDeleteI hope I can have any input from others who have more knowledge about this. By the way, thanks for the comments from both of you, I really appreciate it.
ReplyDelete