Every human body carries an arsenal of chemicals to fight off bacteria, viruses, and other intruders, but sometimes these weapons backfire. If your child has allergies, she responds to things in the environment that are not invaders. The body produces antibodies, and when your child is exposed to the irritant a second time, her body releases a number of chemicals. Rather than protecting the body, the histamine may cause sneezing fits, a runny or itchy nose, red watery eyes, and a scratchy throat. These classic symptoms may appear very early in life, but typically first show up in children around the time they reach preschool or first grade.
Some reactions are much more serious than others.
Nobody knows exactly why some children develop allergies while others don't, but the problem definitely runs in families. If you or your spouse gets watery eyes around cats or sneezes many times a day during pollen season, there's a good chance your child will, too. Yet even if neither of you suffers from allergies, you can pass along genes that make your child especially sensitive to her environment. If your child has a serious reaction to a food or medicine, the source of the misery will probably be obvious. But determining the cause of mild allergies can take some sleuthing.