What are Seasonal Allergies?
Seasonal allergies are an allergic reaction your body has to something in the environment, including pollen from trees in the spring, grass in the summer, and ragweed in the fall. You can have allergies at any time of year depending on what you are allergic to. Allergies are very common in children, especially when there is a family history of allergies. Symptoms of a seasonal allergy include watery eyes, a clear runny nose, sneezing, itchy eyes and nose, and sometimes sinus congestion, sore throat, or headache.
Warning Signs
You should always call your pediatrician if your child has any of the following warning signs or if you have any questions or concerns.
* Fever
* Age younger than 1 year
* Yellow or green eye discharge
* Decreased appetite
* Interference with normal activities
* No relief in symptoms after using nonprescription medications for 3 days
* Acting unusually sleepy, listless, or irritable
Treatment
There are several nonprescription as well as prescription medications available for treating seasonal allergies, and decreasing exposure is also important. Allergy testing is usually done for children with significant allergy symptoms that do not respond to a trial of nonprescription and/or prescription medications. Children with severe allergies sometimes need allergy shots to help desensitize them to the allergen, but this should be discussed on an individual basis with your pediatrician and in consultation with an allergist.
Often, if the symptoms are very mild, only last a few weeks, and do not interfere with normal activity, no medications are needed. However, whether your child has mild or more significant allergies, decreasing exposure can still help ease the symptoms.
You can reduce your child's exposure to pollen by closing the windows in your car or home and using air conditioning instead, keeping your child inside when the pollen count is especially high or it is a windy day, and avoiding exposure to freshly cut grass and while the grass is being mowed. Your child should take a bath or shower (including rinsing out his eyes) and change into fresh clothes when he comes inside after participating in outdoor activities in order to get rid of the pollen that may be on his hair, body, and clothes.
Nonprescription medications for allergy symptoms include medications taken by mouth that address multiple symptoms such as diphenhydramine (e.g. Benadryl) and loratadine (e.g. Claritin), as well as eye drops to help specifically with eye symptoms such as ketotifen fumarate 0.025% (e.g. Zaditor or Alaway). These medications are generally safe and effective for children older than 3 years old; however, if your child does not have relief of his allergy symptoms after using these medications for 3 days, you should call your pediatrician. In addition, if your child has any other health problems or takes any other medications (prescription or nonprescription) on a regular basis, you should always check with your child's pediatrician before starting any new medications.
If allergy symptoms are preventing your child from doing normal outdoor activities for more than a day or two, you should see your child's pediatrician, because the goal is to control the allergy symptoms so that your child can enjoy being outside.
Remember, you should always call your pediatrician if your child has any of the above warning signs, you have any questions or concerns, or if your child's condition does not improve with the above treatment recommendations.
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