Nobody likes to be sick. It’s one of the most unpleasant experiences you will have in your life. It is even worse when you have to be sick constantly throughout the year. As such, allergies are no fun. It’s even worse however when you consider the fact that even children can get allergies. Your kids are small and fragile, so any kind of sickness (whether big or small) can be scary. As such, it’s better to be constantly aware of your child and watch for any signs. Knowing that your child is allergic to the changing seasons can help you know what to look for. To help you out, here is a list of some of those signs.

1. The Nose
   First, you must be aware of your child’s nose. One of the most obvious signs that your child is allergic to the changing air may in fact be his or her nose. The treatments of of these signs could be anything from having your child blow his or her nose to having to look up hypernasal speech treatment. As scary as hypernasal speech treatment may sound however, just like with any other treatment, if the problem is found early enough the treatment can be light. So, before you have to worry about finding a fix for sinus infections or where you need to go for hypernasal speech treatment, you should ask your child about any nasal issues and get a checkup.
2. The Ear
   Next, you’ll want to consider any ear trouble your child may be having. Yes that is right, you will need to check your child’s ear. And no, this doesn’t just focus on ear wax. In fact, many chronic ear problems can occur. One problem that is common is otitis media. Allergies can play a role in these infections due to the fluid buildup in the eardrum or any pressure that builds up in the ear. So again, its important to spot any change or problems that could happen with your child’s ear. Then, you should immediately seek help.
3. The Throat
   It’s also important that you keep note of any changes in your child’s throat. You don’t want to get to the point that you have to worry about vocal cord paralysis or vocal cord surgery. As such, you should be watchful and listen out for any problems that can arise. One way that these problems can pop up is the increase of phlegm in your child’s throat. All of that mucus buildup can lead to cough, sore throats, and a husky voice. As such, listen out for any of these tell tale signs and make sure to be ready for when these signs do pop up in the future.
4. Sleep
   In addition, allergies can even get in the way of proper sleep. There are many ways that this can happen. Part of it can be for the symptoms described earlier. Your child could have a scratch or mucus filled throat. This can then lead to your child having a bad night of sleep because he or she is coughing so much instead of actually sleeping. Or worse, your child could end up with a case of sleep disorder breathing. In addition, this can also cause situations such as snoring and sleep apnea. That lack of proper airflow can actually cause other, more serious, health issues.
5. Eyes
   Lastly, you should also look out for any signs coming from your child’s eyes. Some examples of this could be things such as itchy eyes or discoloration. If your child’s eyes turn reddish from tearing or burning, you might have an issue on your hands. A lot of the time we don’t consider these issues to be in fact issues. We will worry about the nasal stuff, the throat stuff, but we won’t think about fixing the problems iwth our children’s eyes. Well now you know that you not only should, but you must.

You love your child, that is obvious. And you want to take care of him or her. So before you have to worry about something like hypernasal speech treatment, look for the signs and seek help if you ever find any.

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Children often experience many health issues related to the ear, nose and throat areas. Some of the illnesses or problems are the result of bacterial infections or viral infections that may occur after exposure to others who have that virus. Some illnesses are the result of a simple cold that turns into an infection, possibly because the ear, nasal and throat passages are small or blocked. This can be due to congenital abnormalities of the ear, enlarged tonsils, adenoiditis and adenoid hypertrophy, chronic ear problems or other ear, nose and throat problems.

One other issue that can be the result of genetics, in addition to congenital abnormalities of the ear, would be enlarged tonsils. Children with enlarged tonsils experience difficulty breathing, especially at night and often have sleep apnea. Sometimes these children will develop snoring while some, about one to three per cent will show signs of Sleep Disordered Breathing in addition to snoring. The child may experience symptoms of sleep disordered breathing, which is 3.7 times more likely in children with enlarged tonsils. Some children snore on a regular basis, approximately 10% of children will have this tendency while a smaller number may actually have Obstructive Sleep Apnea, or OSA, which is prevalent in about two to four percent of children who snore. This symptom is a consideration in whether or not the child should have their tonsils removed. About 80% of tonsillectomies now are done due to obstructive sleep problems, or OSA while 20% of tonsillectomies are performed due to recurring infections. Formerly, about 30 years ago for instance, the number of tonsillectomies due to infection in children was the reason approximately 90% of the time.

While it is unknown if genetics play a role in enlarged tonsils, the congenital abnormalities of the ear in children is directly related to genetics. Over half of children with hearing loss can have that hearing loss traced back to the genes of the parent or parents. While only a small number of newborns experience hearing loss, which is reported in about one in every 1,000 newborns, every newborn is tested for hearing within a short time of birth.

Other problems with the ear, nose and throat may develop even if the child does not have congenital abnormalities of the ear. Ear infections are a common illness that may or may not be the result of congenital abnormalities of the ear or other ear formation issues. Another issue that can cause hearing loss in newborns would be infections in the mother during the pregnancy or other environmental causes which are not related to congenital abnormalities of the ear. Some children exhibit many more ear infections than others. Visit a recommended Ear, Nose and Throat doctor to find out more and have your child checked for ear nose and throat problems in children and adolescents.

Another area of expertise for ENT doctors is the cleft lip or cleft palate. There has been significant improvement in the treatment of these conditions. Surgery is required to repair cleft lip or cleft palate and is recommended early in life before 12 to 18 months of age for the child.

The doctors for children who specialize in the ear, nose and throat area can help to acquire a diagnosis, whether it is congenital abnormalities of the ear, enlarged tonsils, ear canal formation, cleft lip, sinus passage infections or any similar issue involving the upper respiratory system. Those doctors will provide information and options so you can understand the situation facing your child and make educated decisions on the best action to take for good results and hopefully good health in the future for your child.

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