Spring Allergies

Spring is here and with it come flowers, birds and…sneezing. Many children suffer from seasonal issues with pollen. If your child has a watery nose, itchy eyes or is sneezing, allergies are a likely cause. If there is no fever and your child is well otherwise, treatment with an OTC antihistamine would be a good start. Benadryl can be used but because it lasts only 4 hours and causes sedation, long acting alternatives are better. Zyrtec, Claritin, and Allegra are all available in generic versions and are excellent medicines. For preschool children, check with your pediatrician about dosages. Nasal steroids can be used in more severe cases and there are prescription drugs such as Singulair or eye drops such as Pataday, that may be beneficial. If your initial treatment isn’t successful, see your pediatrician for further assistance. In severe or year-round allergy cases, we may recommend allergy testing which might lead to allergy shots. There are good treatments available for allergies to keep your child more comfortable and avoid more serious complications.