Spring is here… and so are our allergies.

It is a welcome sight to see: our gardens are finally starting to look greener, the skies are clearing up, and kids are riding around on their bicycles in our neighborhoods. While we embrace the coming change in weather and put away our cold weather clothing, keep an eye open for signs of other not so welcome effects, stemming from the pollen.

Check this link for the pollen counts in your area:

Children can have red, itchy eyes, and sometimes have excessive tearing, dark circles around their eyes (shiners), nasal congestion, swollen and blocked nasal passages, sneezing, sore throats, coughing, wheezing, rashes, and even loose stools, stomach aches and vomiting. As you can see, these symptoms overlap with several other syndromes that can make us think of strep throat, stomach viruses, colds and even flu! In general, though, allergies have a protracted course with varying intensity of symptoms. Sometimes our children can end up getting ear infections from having to deal with all the muck that gets trapped in their middle ears, so watch for signs of ear pain and fever too.

We can mitigate some of these symptoms by trying to keep our kids rooms free from dust and animal dander. By using a synthetic mattress cover, we can reduce the dust mites in their bedding. Remember to inspect the tops of the ceiling fan blades for dust. Look for all those old dusty stuffed animals they tend to keep on their shelves and under their beds. We should endeavor to make these places a safe haven for them. If things are really bad, think of removing curtains and carpets from their rooms too. HEPA filter units are kind of expensive and may be overkill for most people, requiring periodic maintenance and changes to the (also expensive) filters.

Some children may benefit also from learing how to use nasal irrigation systems, like the NetiPot you may have seen on talk shows, or the SinuRinse for younger children. OTC Cetirizine or Loratadine may be a good second line treatment option for these problems.

Don’t let allergy symptoms get in the way of your kid’s activities, and let us know if we can be of help to you.