Skin tests are not reliable in testing for food allergies. Babies haven t developed the IgE antibody, an antibody associated with allergies, and the tests usually come back negative. Allergy sufferers may experience hay fever, allergy rhinitis. Hay fever is often mistaken for a cold or flu. Judy Lee Bachman, Ph.D., says that colds start with a sore throat and lasts about 10 days.
Allergies start with a stuffy nose and lasts about a day or two.
In children who aren t able to talk, the length of time the symptoms last are important in determining whether or not your child is experiencing an allergic reaction or a cold. Children with allergies push up their noses with their hands to relieve the itch. Pushing the nose up temporarily opens the airway and allows the child to breathe, says Bachman. Allergy season is no easier for asthmatics. About 10 percent of children in the United States are affected by asthma, a combination of airway obstruction, inflammation, and responsiveness to air pollutants and allergies.