Tips for Battling Allergy-Related Anxieties in Children. On a global scale, the rise in the prevalence of allergic disease has consistently risen over the past five decades, with allergens affecting between 40% and 50% of all school-aged children. Allergy can cause discomfort but also pain. In the case of allergic rhinitis, for instance, repeated sneezing and coughing can stress the muscles, joints, neck, and back, making an already difficult condition even more overbearing. Anxiety is also high in children with chronic allergies; many do not wish to be seen as ‘different’ and/or worry about an attack taking place when they are at school or otherwise away from their parents. If your child is battling allergy-related anxiety, make every effort to treat the issue seriously. Numerous studies have established that anxiety increases pain perception both acute and chronic conditions. Thankfully, simple strategies such as exercise, meditation, and therapy, can go a long way towards reducing pain and anxiety.
Allergies and Anxiety
A 2017 study by scientists at Columbia University showed that there is a strong link between food allergy and childhood anxiety and depression. The demands involved in purchasing, managing, and preparing food, plus the cost of epinephrine pens, can exacerbate anxiety for children and their families, especially if they come from low-income families. In addition to economic stressors, pain can also cause anxiety. For instance, children who are allergic to mold and live in humid homes in which mold can thrive, can have flare-ups that make them sneeze, wheeze, or cough – these actions can stress muscles in the neck, chest, and back. Mold allergies can also cause skin conditions and eye irritation – both of which can cause itching, stinging, and pain.
Anxiety Can Exacerbate Allergy and Pain
The relationship between anxiety, allergies, and pain, is cyclical. As shown in an Ohio State University study, even slight stress and anxiety can make allergy symptoms substantially worse. Clearly, if children are to stand a fighting chance against allergies, anxiety must be tackled in a proactive fashion.
Keeping Anxiety Levels Low
As a first line of defense, children should take allergy medication as required, to keep symptoms to a minimum. Children who display worry about the effects of anxiety when they are away from home, can benefit from cognitive-behavioral therapy, which will highlight the important link between their thoughts, feelings, and actions. Some allergologists work alongside child psychologists who can help children set and achieve small behavioral ‘goals’ (these might involve playing outside when the sun is down, or taking part in exercises to keep ‘feel good neurotransmitters’ flowing). Children can slowly begin to note that by changing one or two behaviors, they also start to feel more in control of their allergies, and their anxiety.
Natural Stress Relieving Methods
If anxiety is mild to moderate, parents may want to try natural methods such as meditation and controlled breathing, found in numerous studies to dramatically lower levels of stress hormone, cortisol. Apps such as YogaGlo, Calm, and Headspace, have many exercises lasting just a few minutes, which involve breathing and meditation. Parents can take this as a starting point, proceeding to longer exercises and more profound meditations as children progress.
There is an undeniable link between allergies, anxiety, and pain. To put an end to the cycle, allergies need to be diagnosed and treated by a qualified specialist. Treatment for anxiety may also be needed in severe cases. In mild to moderate cases, natural stress relief can form a first line of defense and provide children with a tool they can lean on if allergy symptoms arise when they are at school or away from home.
by Chrissy Phillips
