How Do Allergies Affect Children's Behavior?

Allergies Can Greatly Affect a Child's Behavior

Allergies in children can cause a child to become tired and irritable. Allergies can have a huge effect on a child's behavior because children do not understand what is happening when they do not feel well. Kids may act out in ways that they do not normally act, simply because they are confused and do not know of any other way to respond. An adult can take an antihistamine if he is suffering from some types of allergies and may soon feel better, but children are not able to make these types of choices.

Allergies can make a child irritable

When a child is suffering from allergies and has a stuffy or runny nose, congestion, coughing, wheezing, sneezing, and other symptoms, he may not be able to sleep well at night. The child may have difficulty falling asleep and may wake up during the night due to the allergic symptoms that he is experiencing. Other problems, such as sinus or ear infections can also cause a child to experience pain and loss of sleep, which results in irritability. If his ears are clogged due to chronic ear infections, the child may not be able to hear well, which is another cause for irritability and confusion.

Children with food allergies may not want to eat a variety of foods

Sometimes a child realizes that his stomach hurts after eating, and this can make him hesitant to eat certain foods. He may not be old enough to verbalize this knowledge, but he may know that there is something about a certain food that is "not good." Mealtimes can then become a battle ground as parents insist that their child eat what the rest of the family is eating. Changes in behavior happen when a food like peanuts causes an peanut allergy reaction such as a rash or hives that itch.

Food allergies can cause irritability when a child feels sick

According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, there are certain foods that cause the great majority of allergies in children. These foods are milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, and soybeans. Since milk is often consumed by children with every meal, a child who has a milk allergy may continue to have indigestion or a stomachache throughout the day until the allergy is discovered. As adults, we know that it is easy to be irritable when we do not feel well, and most young children's behavior is affected when they do not feel well. If you believe that your child has a food allergy, it is important to make an appointment with your pediatrician as soon as possible.