4 “must dos” for kids with seasonal allergies

Follow me at @drClaire It’s always wonderful when winter ends and spring finally appears…unless you have hay fever. Hay fever, or seasonal allergies, is very common — and can be really uncomfortable. While it’s not always easy to tell a cold from allergies, it’s more likely to be allergies if there’s no fever, if eyes are itchy, if there’s lots of sneezing…and if it lasts longer than a few days. The good news is that there are some simple things that you can do to make your child — and anyone else in the house that has hay fever — feel better. Close the windows. After a long winter it’s tempting to open them, but don’t — because that lovely fresh air brings pollen in with it. If you have an air conditioner, run it. Wash up and change when you get home. Speaking of bringing pollen in, you also do a good job of that when you come inside. The allergy sufferer should definitely change clothes and wash his hands and face when he comes in, but it’s not a bad idea for everyone to do the same, as you all could be pollen-carriers. Try to keep your house as pollen-free as possible. The room where this is particularly important is the bedroom, as that’s where your child spends the most time. If possible, try to keep your child out of his bedroom during the day (move the fun toys somewhere else) and have him bathe before bed. Be thoughtful about outside time. As a pediatrician, I absolutely want my patients to be outside; I want them to be active, and to ge...
Source: New Harvard Health Information - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Asthma and Allergies Children's Health Parenting hay fever seasonal allergies Source Type: news