Don’t Sneeze at New Evidence Linking Kids’ Allergies and High Blood Pressure Risk
Many children suffer from the seasonal sneezing and wheezing of allergies. While parents know that allergies make you tired and uncomfortable, most typically don’t worry about whether allergies can affect their child’s overall health. But a new study shows a link between childhood allergies and high blood pressure, which has been shown to lead to heart disease.
Nosing In on the Effects of Allergies
The study examined children who suffered from seasonal allergy symptoms, fatigue, sinus issues, and the breathing problems of allergies. The researchers found that children who experienced the common allergic reactions of asthma, eczema, and hay fever had higher rates of hypertension, high cholesterol, and obesity than children without any allergies. All of these dangerous health conditions can contribute to heart disease later in life.
Since allergies are the third most common chronic disease in children, researchers are concerned that this could lead to a huge rise in heart disease in the future. Now, additional research needs to be done to see if the link between allergies and high blood pressure will make heart disease an epidemic for tomorrow’s adults.
Getting to the Heart of Allergies and Heart Problems
There appears to be many ways that allergies can affect heart health, such as:
- Knowing that allergies make you tired and uncomfortable, children with allergies may avoid getting involved in active pursuits, increasing their risk of obesity.
- Children who experience seasonal allergy symptoms, fatigue, and the congestion of allergies often find that being outdoors makes their allergies worse. As a result, these children tend to be less physically active and more sedentary, which can lead to obesity.
- Children who don’t pursue physical or social activities may adopt unhealthy habits like drinking and smoking, which have been shown to contribute to heart disease.
- Allergies often cause additional inflammation, which has been recognized as one of the leading factors in hypertension and high cholesterol, which raise the risk of heart disease.
While more research is needed, health experts agree that we must find a way to control the rampant spread of allergies among children to protect future generations from heart disease.
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