What Can a Parent Do when a Child Suffers Terribly from Allergies?

There is a lot you can do to help, according to leading allergy researcher M. Eric Gershwin, MD, and psychologist Edwin L. Klingelhofer, PhD. Drawing not only on their professional knowledge, but on their daily experiences with their own and their children's severe allergies, Drs. Gershwin and Klingelhofer present an easy-to-understand A-Z guide to effective home treatment of children's allergies. Their comprehensive book contains all the latest information and advice you need to effectively manage your child's symptoms, and to help him or her understand and control their own allergies.
Here you will find in simple, jargon-free language the best and most up-to-date counsel on how to deal effectively with asthma, hay fever, eczema, food allergies, contact dermatitis, hives, headaches, rhinitis, latex allergies, and more. For each allergy, Drs. Gershwin and Klingelhofer fully describe and discuss how it is treated, the strategies for its avoidance, its risks and consequences, and also debunk the prevailing myths. Concerned parents will learn how to identify their child's allergic symptoms, how to distinguish these from nonallergic symptoms, and what to do about them. They will also find out what tell-tale signs to look for, which symptoms of allergic disease require immediate attention, and what they can do to survive under managed care. Numerous step-by-step treatment charts lead them to the correct decision about the next step to take.
If your child suffers from allergies and you want to know more about these often cruel afflictions-and what can be done to avoid or treat them-Taking Charge of Your Child's Allergies is just what your doctor would order!

M. Eric Gershwin, MD is Chief, Division of Rheumatology, Allergy, and Clinical Immunology at the University of California Medical School, University of California, Davis. Dr. Gershwin has worked as a clinical allergist and is currently involved in clinical research and practice.

Edwin L. Klingelhofer, PhD is a counselor and Professor Emeritus of Psychology at California State University, Sacramento

Dr. Gershwin and Dr. Klingelhofer have written many books and articles, both as a team and individually. Together they wrote the much praised Living Allergy Free (Humana, 1992). Dr. Gershwin is author of Diseases of the Sinuses (Humana, 1996).
Dr. Klingelhofer is author of Coping with Your Grown Children (Humana, 1989).

The number of children with allergies is astounding-nearly one child in six is said to suffer from some sort of allergy. The problems of these allergic children can be as mild as occasional attacks of hay fever or as severe as disfiguring eczema and life-threatening bronchial asthma. In addition to the obvious health problems associated with having allergies, affected children may experience recurring colds, painful ear infections, and other allergy­ linked conditions, all of which cause frequent school absences. Childhood allergies affect school performance adversely; they may be instrumental in reducing attention span, and they are certainly a major social, psychologi­ cal, and financial burden for children and their parents. This book is a complete guide to childhood allergies presented in simple jargon-free language. It provides parents with comprehensive, up-to-date, and practical information and advice on how to help their allergic children. It identifies the many allergic symptoms, tells what they look like, how prevalent they are, what causes them, and what to do about them. It outlines steps parents can take to help their children understand, manage, and control their allergies. Its goal is to help parents and children cope effectively with a major childhood problem.

Part I. What Are Allergies, Why Do Children Have Them,How Can I Be Sure My Child Is Really Allergic, And How Can I Best Cope? Why Our Child? Some Facts About Allergies.What Specifically Is an Allergy? How to Know Whether Your Child Is Allergic. Introduction. Family History of Allergies. What Are the Symptoms? The When and How of Allergic Diseases in Children. Associated Factors.Directions for Using the Allergy Finder.The Doctor's Role. Allergies and Allergy Imposters. Allergy, Allergy Imposters, and Physiology. Guiding Your Allergic Child into the Mainstream. General Health Problems. School Problems. Overall School Performance. Physical Education. Other Classes. Other Risks at School. At Homes of Friends. At Home Alone. Holidays.Traveling. Summer Camp.Special Problems of Allergic Children. Other Problems.Teaching Allergic Offspring How to Act Judiciously and Competently on Their Own. Illicit Drugs. Part II. What Are Allergies' Triggers And How Can I Avoid or Control Them Effectively? Food and Food Additives. Symptoms of Food Allergy or Intolerance. Diagnostic Procedures for Establishing the Cause of Food Allergies or Intolerances. Allergy and Intolerance-Causing Agents. Fad Diets. A Special Word About Latex Allergy. Treatment of Food Allergy or Hypersensitivity. Too Much of a Good Thing. Colds and Respiratory Infections. Prevention of Colds and Respiratory Infections. The Importance of Good Nutrition. Psychological Stress . Hygiene and General Health Habits. Recurrent or Chronic Lung Diseases. Airborne Allergens. Plant Pollens. Molds and Fungi. Dust. Animal Dander. Smoke. Pollutants. Other Airborne Allergens. Weather, Climate, and Exercise Cold. Heat. Heat and Cold . Barometric Pressure and Humidity. The Seasons. Activity and Exercise. Part III. The Common Allergic Diseases, Why Children Develop Them, And The Steps You, The Parent, Can Take To Diagnose, Treat, Control, And Avoid Their Symptoms. Skin Irritants. Insect Stings or Bites.Incidence. Usual Age of Onset. Symptoms. Habitats of Stinging and Biting Insects.First Aid and Home Treatment of Insect Stings and Bites. Avoiding Insect Stings and Bites. Controlling Stinging and Biting Insects. Long-Term Treatment. Complications.A Special Note About Spiders. Gastrointestinal Complaints (Colic, Constipation, Diarrhea, and Stomachache). Causes of Food Allergies and Intolerances in Children. Foods Associated with Gastrointestinal Symptoms in Children. A Note on Milk and Enzyme Deficiencies in Children. Identifying Food Intolerance. First Aid and Home Treatment of Food Intolerance. Special Hints. Asthma (Wheezing and Shortness of Breath). Incidence. Usual Age of Onset.Symptoms. Causes. When to See the Doctor.Skin Testing. Treatment of Asthma. Identify the Causal Agent or Agents. Avoid Asthma's Causal Agents. Drugs. Control Symptoms Through Clearance of Mucus, Breathing Exercises, and Medication. Controlling or Treating Asthmatic Symptoms with Medication or Drugs. How to Monitor Your Asthma. Special Hints or Warnings. Hay Fever (Allergic Rhinitis and Chronic Runny Nose). Incidence.Usual Age of Onset. Symptoms. Causes. Skin Tests. First Aid and Home Treatment of Hay Fever. Long-Term Treatment . Complications. Eczema and Dry Skin. Incidence. Usual Age of Onset. Symptoms. Causes. Foods and Eczema.First Aid and Home Treatment of Eczema.Long-Term Treatment. Duration. Complications. Special Hints.Hives. Incidence. Usual Age of Onset. Symptoms.Causes.Treatment of Hives. Long-Term Treatment. Angioedema. Itchy Eyes. Incidence. Usual Age of Onset . Symptoms.Causes. When to See the Doctor. First Aid and Home Treatment of Itchy Eyes. Vernal Conjunctivitis.Contact Lenses. Eye Examinations. Care of the Eyes. Earache. Incidence. Usual Age of Onset. Symptoms. Causes. When to See the Doctor. First Aid and Home Treatment of Earache. Long-Term Treatment. Complications of Earaches. Ear Allergies. Traveling with an Earache. Tonsillectomies and Adenoid