Allergy Help for Your Child
Hey friend! I know I know! The allergies are horrible right now! Cough, congestion, itchy watery eyes, ears feel full. The good news is you have options. I can’t wait to walk you through all my Pro-Tips to get you and your family back on track. But first, coffee! I found some extra cute spring mugs I couldn’t resist. Yes, I have too many coffee mugs, but I love them all! I will grab our coffee and I will meet you right back here!
Ok friend here we go. My most common Pro-Tips for all your allergy needs just for you!
Ages 0-2 years old:
Ok, yes. Most people will tell you your child cannot get seasonal allergies at this age. However, nasal congestion can still be treated at this age.
Classic bulb suction many of you got one from the hospital when you delivered your little one. Keep it in your diaper bag ready to go.
NoseFrida very popular and many parents have great success with it.
Don’t forget the saline drops! Apply 2-3 drops to each nostril before suctioning. This helps break up the mucus so when you go to suction the nose you get a lot more mucus out!
Little Remedies Little Noses Decongestant Nasal Drops For ages 2 years old to 6 years old. DO NOT USE LONGER THAN 3 DAYS. This is a great short term solution.
Humidifier. Don’t throw this out after the newborn stage. It can be handy throughout childhood. Running the cool mist humidifier in the same room the child sleeps in during times of increased congestion is the ultimate Pro-Tip for these little ones.
Psst… medications like Zyrtec and Benadryl can be used under a medical professional’s care for those 6 months and older. Need an appointment to know the right dose or if these medications could help your little one? Click here we got you covered.
2 years old and older crowd:
Oral medications:
Allegra, Zyrtec, Xyzal and Claritin
Unlike like the tradition medication, Benadryl. These medications have a very low sedation profile… aka they won’t make your child as sleepy. It is still best to give these medications at bedtime for the chance that they would make your child a little sleepy during the day.
The great thing about these medications is some come in liquid and a chewable tablet. So it’s great for those kiddos who realllllly hate taking medication but realllllllly need to.
Added benefit, Zyrtec, Xyzal and Claritin have 24 hours allergy coverage so they have a once a day dosing - taking one more thing off your list! Yes please!
Pro-Tip do not take these medications together. It’s important to pick one and trial it for 10-14 days to see your child’s response.
For people with chronic and severe seasonal allergies sometimes you have to change the allergy medication you are on seasonally because the effectiveness of the medication can diminish over time.
Nasal Sprays:
Flonase: Before you scroll down and say my kid will never do a nasal spray. Here me out and why it’s worth a try. This is a gold standard in allergy maintenance. This intranasal steroid targets the nasal passages that are connected to your middle ear. Using Flonase regularly can decrease the swelling and mucus production not only treating seasonal allergy symptoms but decreasing ear infections as well.
Pro-Tip blow nose before using the medication so you don’t spray medication on mucus that your child is just going to blow out after. After inserting spray bottle in nose, angle spray to outer corner of the eye. Simple terms, for the left nose spray toward outer corner of left eye. You also have to use this for 10-14 days to see the full benefit of the medication. The I tried it once and it didn’t work statement is usually accurate, because it just takes time to see the benefit. Hand in there friend, it will be worth it!
Whew, ok thank you letting me on my soap box friend. Now, if you have to hold your child down to do nasal sprays I completely understand why you would hard pass on this. If you think your child would tolerate it, I cannot recommend more!
Sinus Rinse- Can I be honest here? Ok thanks friend! I personally don’t love these. But they have an almost cult-like following. You know who you are. People either love it or hate it. Essentially it deep rinses the sinuses to get all the mucus out and any pollens or other irritants. These should be reserved for the older kids. It takes some breathing coordination to rinse your sinuses.
Eye Drops:
Pataday: This can be really beneficial for those who have allergy symptoms that predominately cause itchy, watery, swollen eyes. Pro-Tip if it worsens, has yellow or green eye crusting, or eye pain is present there could be another issue going on and would need to be evaluated by a medical provider.
Prescription Medications:
Singulair: Available by prescription only this medication is great because it comes in granules and chewable form for the littles. Singulair is especially beneficial for those who have wheezing or asthma. Think your child may benefit from a Singulair prescription make an appointment here, telehealth available 😊
Allergy Shots: Typically reserved for severe allergies that are unresponsive to the medications listed above. They require a major commitment with weekly injections over a long period of time and most require allergy skin testing prior to starting therapy.
Blood work to determine allergies is very common and be done to determine food and environmental allergies.
If you would like to get allergy relief for you child you can make an pediatric house call appointment here, telehealth available.
We get you back to what’s most important, FAMILY.
*The not so fine print use all medications as directed by manufacture, do not use if you are allergic to medication, and please use under the supervision of a medical provider. Thanks, friend!
