Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-04-08
AIIergyG
Children
Much Trouble
Hypersensitiveness Seen
in EARLY Years
BY DIR. LOGAN CLENDENING

ness which some individuals
have TO certain foods, dust. ami
NAL odors. plant pollens and
various other substances.
When these individuals come
in contact with one OF these
substances. this representative
ness causes symptoms in various
parts of the body.
Hay fever. asthma and hives,
TO name the commonest forms
of allergy. are conditions Of this
type.
Why some people have this
hypersensitiveness and others do
not is unknown. although il is
quite definitely of an hereditary
character.
Allergy may appear in persons
In childhood or in later life. /
have known of two sisters, one
was afflicted with hay fever in
childhood while the other was
perfectly free from it until about
the age of 80 when she too de-
NelOptu nay FEVER.
IN CHILDREN allergy takes
L several forms: they may have
hay fever or asthma.
They are particularly likely 10
have a peculiar reaction of the
mucous membrane of the nose
which becomes swollen and
Doggy and causes a running
drainage and chronic cold.
Another form of allegry In
children attacks the digestive
system and there may be at
tacks of disturbance of the
stomach with cramp. a chronic
gaseous distension and diarrhoea
followed by constipation.
One type of digestive disturb
ance due 10 allergy in~children is
cyclic vomiting.
This comes on in attacks be-
ginning in the prodromal period
with loss of appetite; listlessness
and irritability, languor and
little fever and then later,
pain in the pit Of the stomach,
gastric disturbance and finally
, the vomiting which lasts from
"a 10 as hours, followed by Sc
we're prostration.
This does not occur in adults
and the patient eventually wears
IL out.
The average age of these pa
tients is Ia years and the symp-
toms appear periodically for
three TO four years.
Sometimes they also have
asthma and hives and other skin
eruptions.
A MOTHER form OF allergy
"A which affects children al
most exclusively is infantile
eczema.
These poor little tots about
the age Of ! year begin TO have
raw, scaly, itchy areas on the
face and hands which constitute
a very distressing condition.
No one can blame the baby
for being irritable and touchy
and unresponsive.
Both cyclic vomiting and &C.
zema in children are probably
due TO food allergy. although it
tries the patience of the parents
and the doctor and all the rela-
tives 10 find out exactly what
food causes the attacks.
II is usually combination OF
some OF the most necessary nu-
tritional articles, such as eggs,
milk. bread, etc, and somehow
or other these children with &C.
Zema always wear IL out.
| have never seen IL persist
beyond six or seven yeaiy.
ITO TREAT a child with this
i condition requires a great
deal of patience in getting a
good history and finding out
what particular substance is re-
sponSible for the condition.
Some times the allergens can
be avoided or eliminated.
Ii may be that the child has
pet cat or rabbit which is
the cause, or sometimes the stuff
fing Of his pillow may be the
cause of his complaint.
Other allergens are not so
easily avoided. such as the poll
lens Of trees. grasses, weeds.
house dust and foods that are
necessary for nutrition.
QUESTIONS, ANSWERS
L. H.-What do you take ex-
tract of witch hazel for?
Answer-Witch hazel is a long
outmoded counter irritant that
has been used for rubbing on
sprains and sore places. l do not
know OF any use for il, taken
internally.
w. M.--What are the symp-
toms of angina pectoris Can a
person gain weight who has IL
Can person continue at his
regular employment?
Answer-Angina pectoris is
due 10 spasm of the coronary
artery Of the heart.
II Is usually associated with
high blood pressure or hardening
OF the arteries elsewhere in the
body.
II is possible to gain weight
while having angina.
Whether or not the patient
can continue with his regular
employment depends on how Sc
we're the work is.