what a good cold, flu or allergy medication out there?

Question

M57, do flu/cold and allergies/hives go hand in hand? Or differential diagnosis is so difficult that same medication given?

Answer 1

Many choices: There is no magic pill out there and it all depends on what symptoms your are trying to treat. A decongestant for a cold or flu is available is many different combinations over the counter under different brand names. Look at the ingredients, Pseudoephedrine is a good decongestant avilable in combination with other medications. For allergies, a non drowsy long acting antihistamine is allegra (fexofenadine).

Answer 2

No: No. There are many myths surrounding allergies, but many studies have looked at this issue and show quite conclusively that mom's diet doesn't affect junior's chance of getting allergies. Enjoy whatever foods you'd like.

Answer 3

No: The studies to date are conflicting regarding maternal diet in pregnancy and later development of allergy in children, so no clear recommendations can be made at this time. Some of the most intriguing data, however, suggest low vitamin d levels may correlate with later allergic diseases such as asthma. So, taking a vitamin d supplement when pregnant may be worth discussing with your obstetrician.

Answer 4

Skin testing is best: Allergies are best tested with skin tests. Blood tests like immunocap and rast testing are alternatives but are not as accurate. Skin tests are usually preformed by an allergist.

Answer 5

Blood and/or skin: If your pediatrician suspects allergies, a blood test can be ordered. If your child is severe, referral to an allergist to do skin testing is a second option. You can also carefully observe your child following introduction of a new food.

Answer 6

Skin, blood, observe: Skin testing (scratch testing) is more complete, but harder until kids are a bit older, 2 or so. Newer blood tests are easier, but less extensive. The older, but still effective, "careful observation" is still very helpful!

Answer 7

Skin test or labs: The most sensitive test to diagnose allergy is an allergy skin test performed by an allergist. These tests will be interpreted in the context of your medical history and symptoms (for example, what time of the year and with what exposures you have symptoms). Sometimes allergy blood tests can be used, but they are not as sensitive at picking up allergy as are the skin tests.

Answer 8

Allergy test: If you have allergies, your body produces an antibody that is specific to your allergic triggers. Your doctor or allergist can order a blood test or do a skin prick test to determine if you are allergic to a particular food/environmental allergen.

Answer 9

Blood or skin tests: Babies and children can be tested for allergies by a blood test (any regular lab can do it) or by a skin test (usually done by an allergist). There are hundreds of items that can be tested for, to see if an allergy exists to such items. So, a parent needs to talk with the doctor first, to figure out which items are suspected of causing allergies, and then to test for those few (10-25) items.

Answer 10

Food or pollen: Some allergists suggest later start for baby foods, rather than starting at 3 or 4 months of age. Milk, wheat, and eggs are some of the more common foods to cause allergies. Pollen is a problem at certain times of the year. Trees in the spring, grass in the summer, and weeds in the fall. The specific ones will depend on where you live. An over-the-counter antihistamine may help.

Answer 11

Genes + environment: To develop an allergy, you need a genetic predisposition. For example, children at highest risk of developing allergic asthma are those whose parents have asthma. Also necessary is multiple exposures to the allergen. The strongest predictor of developing allergies in the future is having allergic disease now (for example, a child with eczema has increased chance of developing asthma).

Answer 12

Yes: Children may outgrow specific allergies, especially infants with mild food allergy. They often however "grow into" new allergies. The ability to develop or have allergy is never outgrown.

Answer 13

Yes: The answer is yes, and no. As the immune system develops, some allergies may improve over time; some may worsen. There is no way to predict these changes.

Answer 14

Yes: Certain food allergies such as wheat and milk allergies are often outgrown by as early as two years of age although allergies to nuts and shellfish usually persist. Seasonal allergies, for instance to pollens, usually are not present in infants but can develop anytime later in life.

Answer 15

Yes: They often do, if we are talking about food allergies. Some food allergies are more likely to stay around, however, such as peanut. And some allergies don't develop until later - environmental allergies generally don't come up until school age.

Answer 16

Yes: The question should be " can children ...? The answer as my collegues have responded is some children do and some do not grow out of them.. I would add that a strong family/parental history of allergic problems may be the best predictor of severity of allegic potential. Also remember that allergies start at any age, young or old.

Answer 17

Yes: Not all of the food allergies are created equal. Food allergies like dairy, egg, wheat tend to be outgrown. Tree nut and peanut are less likely (although recent studies suggest that 20-30% outgrow the peanut allergy). Environmental allergies tend to "grow on you" with time. Note: the allergy test may remain positive despite the child having outgrown the allergy. Consult with an allergist.

Answer 18

Yes: Most children will out grow food allergies (nut allergies are difficult to out grow). If children are allergic to environmental allergens it may persist.

Answer 19

Yes: Many children will outgrow food allergies by the age of 3-5 years old. Milk, soy, and egg allergies are among these; peanut and tree nut allergies are not commonly outgrown. Seasonal or other airborne allergens may wax and wane from year to year.

Answer 20

Yes: Some common food allergies (egg, milk) are usually outgrown; others (peanut) are typically not. In any case, work with your pediatrician or allergist to determine how to tell if it's safe to eat certain foods.

Answer 21

Yes: (but it depends on what allergies you are asking about). Some food allergies are commonly outgrown such as wheat, egg, soy, and milk. Others are not commonly outgrown such as peanut, tree nuts, shellfish, fish. Environmental allergies such as dust mites or pollens are not typically outgrown, although in late adulthood they may become less severe.

Answer 22

No: A child who is lucky can grow out of allergies, but that cannot be predicted early on. Usually, allergies change over time. A person can become allergic to things he/she used to be fine with. On the other hand, a person's allergies to some things can fade over the years. Allergies to shellfish or peanuts tend not to go away.

Answer 23

Yes: A recent study reported that children with smaller cellullar reactions (ige levels in blood or wheal size on skin prick) to the allergen are more likely to outgrow their allergy. It may take until the second decade of life, and seems most predicted by genetics rather than environmental triggers.

Answer 24

Depends...: As stated by others, there are foods which are/not commonly outgrown. This is usually predicted on the clinical reactivity in conjunction with diagnostic serum ige levels and skin test measurements. Aeroallergen sensitization is usually not outgrown. Penicillin and hymenoptera allergy (over time) and eczema usually are. Asthma and eoe wax/wane but remain inflammatory conditions to some degree.

Answer 25

A "cold"...: ... Is a viral infection. Allergic noses drip and itch, viral noses have a more "gooey" mucus. Cough and fever are more likely with a viral infection; tearing eyes are more likely with an allergy.

Answer 26

Fever or aches: Both colds and allergies can give you a runny/stuffy nose and coughing, but if there are aches or a fever it's a cold (though not all colds will cause fever and aches). Colds tend to last less than 7 to 10 days, allergies can last weeks to months - or if it's an acute exposure to something your allergic to, it may only last minutes.

Answer 27

Length of symptoms: This can be difficult to tell. Allergies can resemble colds. However, some clues are length of symptoms (cold typically last 7 to 14 days). Whether symptoms correlate with allergen exposure is another clue. Also, allergies do not cause fevers. Unfortunately the color of mucus discharge is not a reliable predictor. Skin or blood allergy testing can be helpful to make this determination.

Answer 28

Fever or No fever: Nasal and ocular allergies feel just like a cold--stuffy, runny noses, scratchy or itchy throats, sneezing, itchy eyes, but usually no fever, and little fatigue (some people say they feel "foggy" and tired, but not fatigued). Viral infections, aka "colds" are usually accompanied by fever or increased temperature, sweating, congestion, runny nose, sore throats, etc.

Answer 29

Difficult: A lot of the symptoms of colds and allergies overlap however fever and other being sick help to distinguish the two. In addition colds last for a week to ten days whereas allergy would be more persistent

Answer 30

Good question: Some time it is hard to tell. In general, when your child has a cold, someone else in the family often has one. A cold is often associated with a low-grade fever but allergy is not. You may also notice fatigue as well as joint or muscle ache with a cold but not with allergy. Hay fever may respond to antihistamine but a cold does not.

what a good cold, flu or allergy medication out there?

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