Hayfever Remedies for Children

Hay fever can interfere with a child's normal activities.

Hay fever, or allergic rhinitis, is an allergic reaction to indoor or outdoor allergens that can affect both children and adults. Common symptoms of hay fever include stuffy or runny nose, sneezing, coughing, itchy and watery eyes, sinus pressure and pain, decreased sense of taste or smell and swollen, blue-colored under-eye circles. Though hay fever is not a serious illness, it can cause children discomfort and difficulty concentrating or participating in everyday activities. A variety of treatments are available to relieve children's hay fever symptoms, including prescription, nonprescription and natural options.

Avoiding Triggers

Reduce a child's exposure to hay fever triggers as much as possible. This may include keeping your child inside as much as possible when pollen or mold counts are high, especially early in the morning and on dry, windy days. You may also want to take precautions inside your home, such as using allergy filters in your vacuum cleaner and ventilation system, using allergy-resistant bedding, keeping windows closed, removing pets or bathing them weekly and drying laundry inside.

Medication

Several prescription and nonprescription medications are available to treat symptoms of hay fever in children. Antihistamines, which block the chemical in the body that causes allergy symptoms, are commonly used to treat hay fever and are available in both prescription and over-the-counter versions, including liquids, tablets, nasal sprays and eye drops. Decongestants, available in liquids tablets and nasal sprays, are also used to relieve the congestion associated with hay fever. Other children's hay fever medications may include nasal corticosteroids, which relieve nasal inflammation. Some medications used to treat hay fever may cause side-effects, such as drowsiness. Your doctor can help you find a treatment that is right for your child.

Sinus Rinsing

In sinus rinsing, a bulb syringe or neti pot is filled with saline solution and used to rinse a child's nostrils. Sinus rinsing may relieve symptoms of hay fever by removing allergens and reducing nasal and sinus congestion. It can be used daily, either on its own or with other hay fever treatments. Syringes or neti pots are available at most pharmacies, and saline packets can be purchased at pharmacies or mixed at home.

Immunotherapy

Immunotherapy, or allergy shots, involve regularly injecting a child with small amounts of the allergens that cause hay fever symptoms. The dose of allergens in each shot is gradually increased to help the body become desensitized to allergens until allergy symptoms disappear. Immunotherapy is usually indicated for children with allergy triggers that are difficult to avoid, such as year-round indoor allergies or those who cannot take allergy medications.

References

• Mayo Clinic: Hay fever
• Mayo Clinic: Allergy shots

Resources

• FamilyDoctor.org: Allergies: Things You Can do to Control Your Symptoms
• Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America: Indoor Air Quality and Allergies