Excite Canada's Allergy Awareness chat with Dr. Paul. Excite Canada is pleased to have pediatrician, Dr Paul Roumeliotis, with us today to take questions on children's allergies and asthma. Dr. Paul is a firm believer in patient education and is the founder and former director of the Montreal Children's Hospital Asthma and Pediatric Consultation Centres. I'm glad to be here for my first chat. The substance that causes the allergic reaction is called an allergen.
Allergens can enter the body when they're eaten, touched, inhaled or breathed in.
When the body perceives the allergen as something harmful, it tries to protect itself by attacking the allergen. In the process, the person experiences various symptoms that can range from mild to severe. Allergies tend to last for longer periods of time, ranging from several weeks to months depending on what is causing the allergy. One important feature of allergies is that there is no fever. If a child has symptoms and a fever, it is unlikely it is allergies.