Toledo union journal. [volume] (Toledo, Ohio) 1942-current, 1949-05-06

l OSS, VI CNSll W WOOl dIlu COI'
ton. In handling a problem o
this character, the conditions un
der which family lives become
very important to the Doctor.
In children we often find {
collection of symptoms that are
pretty indicative of allergy ol
sensitization. Four or five yeal
old youngsters are characterize
in most cartoons as having &
runny nose. Many of them cough
month in, month out. That may
be a little better in the summer.
time, but are worse in the win,
tertime. They have repeated
colds, colds that come and &C
every week or two, and that are
rarely gone for more than few
days at a time. Any younstel
with a running nose, chronic
cough that is not whooping
cough, and repe q tie d colds
should be considered as pos.
sible case of allergy. His sensiti.
Zation should be carefully in.
vestigated with the hope that ell
iminating the cause may give the
relief that will prevent endless
expenditures for cough medicine
that will do no good.
AS we 60 on through the
period of puberty into the ado
lescent period, we find SHARP
increase in the proportion Of
SenSitization to food, coupled
with the continuous and rather
sharp increase in pollens, duSts
animal danders and similar
things. Here we begin to fine
more frequently than before
may be due partly to an in
multiple sensitizations. T h is
creased exploration. You re-
member there was a change ir
the picture when the child be.
gan to walk and explore the
limited world of his home. In
the early teens this same child
is beginning to explore the
things outside his home, to eat
outside the parental control and
to make contacts the family
knows little about. 1t is only
reasonable that there should be
a change in the pattern his al
lergies. An allergic child who
has been under rather complete
supervision and whose sensiti-
cations have been very satisfac-
torily controlled may have q
flare of new allergic symptoms
at this stage in his development.
When this adolescent grows
to be an adult sensitization to
pollens is the most frequent
cause of symptoms while the
inhalents - dusts, danders, and
SO on, are close second.
Though things that are eaten
are important, they cause trou-
BILE in less than one-fourth of
the cases. 1t is interesting, that
during the life span sensitiza-
ton to bacteria gradually in
creases. In the period af adult
hood there is a rather sharp in
crease in its Importance, and is
a thing that must be considered
not only in conjunction with
sensitiZation to other allergies
but even in the absence of 9TH
er sensitizations.
What about the treatment of
these things? Everybody who
has sniffle or common cough
Or a wheeze, or a skin condi-
ton, is not so interested in
what causes it as in how to get
rid of it. In most of these SEN
the cause and the
cure are so closely tied togeth-
sr that the cure is impossible
without thorough understand
ing of the cause, and a willing
hess to undergo the inconven-
lences of avoiding the cause. Of
course there are all kinds of
irugs, ranging from the very
Violent shots of adrenalin that
are used in certain very far ad-
Janced cases of asthma on
iown to some of the milder an
.i-hiStiminic drugs that help
keep hay fever victims more
comfortable. But the treatment
IT sensitization and the asso-
'iated symptoms cannot be
lone with drugs alone. A per-
on senSitized to a number of
he things in his environment
must learn a way of living. In
he first place, he must know to
What he is sensitized. If it is
oods, he must carefully avoid
ating those foods. If he is SEN
tive to too many foods that
re necessary for sustaining life
nd normal vigor, he must learn
0 eat those foods in such guam
ties and in such relations to
ther foods to which he might
e sensitive that at no time does
e build up a large enough
uantity of the things to which
e is sensitive to cause a reac-
on. Likewise with the inhal- 4
nts. A person sensitive to both
agWeed and certain foods
1ould be more careful in a.
oiding the foods to which he 1
sensitive during the ragweed
eason than he would be at 9TH i
times. A person sensitive to
og hair, as well as to pollens, 4
lould be very careful in avoid Z
lg dogs or visiting in homes J
II @~AA 4